Macron meets Israeli, Palestinian leaders as Gaza war rages and humanitarian crisis deteriorates

French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed not to leave Israel isolated in its fight against Islamist militants, but warned against the risks of a regional conflict as he arrived in Israel for talks this Tuesday.

Arriving in Tel Aviv this Tuesday morning, French President Emmanuel Macron is set to become the first Western leader to meet both Israel's premier and the Palestinian president, more than two weeks into the brutal Gaza conflict that has claimed thousands of lives.

As Israel battles Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas following the worst attack in its 75-year history, Macron visit aims to express solidarity with Israel, but also to stress the need to protect Gaza's civilian population during the incessant bombing campaign on the Palestinian enclave.

Macron, the latest of a string of Western leaders to visit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is set be the first to visit Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in the occupied West Bank.

After meeting Israel's President Isaac Herzog at Tel Aviv airport, Macron said, "The first objective we should have today is the release of all hostages, without any distinction, because this is an awful crime to play with the lives of children, adults, old people, civilians and soldiers.

"I want you to be sure that you're not left alone in this war against terrorism," Macron told Herzog.

Pushing for peace

The French president also stressed that the campaign must be fought without "enlarging this conflict" as concern has grown about more of Israel's enemies across the Middle East entering the war.

During his visit Macron will also propose relaunching a "genuine peace process", with the aim of creating a viable Palestinian state in exchange for guarantees from regional powers towards "Israel's security," according to the Elysée palace.

Beyond showing solidarity with Israel, Macron wants to make "proposals that are as operational as possible" to prevent an escalation, to free hostages, and guarantee Israel's security and work towards a two-state solution, presidential advisers have said.

He will also push for a humanitarian truce.
Macron was also due to meet Israeli centrist opposition leaders Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid, before meeting Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah in the West Bank.

French influence 'limited'

However, Macron's ability to influence events in the region appears limited by what some analysts say is a shift towards a more pro-Israel Anglo-American line, in contrast with the traditionally distinctive and more pro-Arab French Gaullist approach.

Karim Emile Bitar, a Beirut-based foreign policy expert at French think tank IRIS believes that "France's soft power south of the Mediterranean has considerably faded.

"We're under the impression that nothing distinguishes France from other Western countries now," he added.

The French government's decision to adopt a blanket ban on pro-Palestinian protests, before it was struck down by courts, is one reason Macron has lost credit in the Arab world.

However, French officials contest the idea that Macron's policy is biased.

They say the French head of state has constantly reaffirmed the rights of Palestinians and the position of a two-state solution, maintaining, "It's a goal France has never veered from."

France 'won't abandon' hostages

Thirty French citizens were killed on 7 October and nine are still missing. One appeared in a video released by Hamas, but the fate of the others remains unknown.

Macron has vowed that France would "not abandon any of its children" in Gaza and has expressed hope that Qatar's mediation can help free hostages.

Macron's visit will also have a special resonance at home, where France's large Muslim and Jewish communities are on tenterhooks following the killing of a teacher by an Islamist militant that French officials have linked to the events in Gaza.

The French leader will have to tread a fine line during his tour of the region, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict having often stoked tension back home and France's fractious opposition being ready to pounce on any faux pas.

Meanwhile, overnight, Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip killed at least another 140 people, according to Hamas.

This comes as UN human rights chief Volker Turk on Monday urged an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" for Gaza where about half of the population of 2.4 million has been driven from their homes.

(with newswires)