When Washington announced the first series of strikes in Yemen against the Houthis last week, one name was missing from the list of around ten countries in the Red Sea coalition having supported the operation: that of France. Tuesday, Emmanuel Macron explained why during his major press conference: Paris “decided not to join” the strikes “to avoid any escalation” in the region, argued the head of state, reiterating also his call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Washington and London bombed Houthi positions in Yemen at the end of last week to try to stop their attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea, which they say are carried out in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.
A “diplomatic” subject
France decided not to “join” these “preventive strikes” against the Houthis “because we have a posture which seeks to avoid any escalation”, said the French president, believing that the subject was not “ military” but “diplomatic”.
Emmanuel Macron also warned Israel about the continuation of operations that are not sufficiently targeted in Gaza. “I say this because it is also in the interest of Israel’s long-term security and because continuing operations today as they are being carried out means taking a long-term risk, taking into account what this creates throughout the region, for the security of Israel itself,” he argued.
“So, we will continue diplomatic initiatives, resolutions, discussions to call a ceasefire and I will continue bilateral contact to try to obtain it in a very concrete way,” Macron said.
Three more French hostages in Gaza
“This is now the priority, because we know, this is what will make it possible to reach out to the populations, to protect them,” he added. The head of state also announced the organization on February 7 of a tribute to the victims of the attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Israel.
“On February 7, at the monument for the victims of terrorism” located on the Esplanade des Invalides in Paris, “I will pay tribute to these victims alongside their loved ones, their families and all those who want to join us there” , he said.
Macron recalled that France had “lost 41 of its children” in these attacks and that it had “three more hostages” in the Gaza Strip. “We are fighting step by step with the Israeli authorities, with Qatar, which has a decisive role in this matter, with several other colleagues to free them.”