The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has denounced “odious and unacceptable blackmail” by Hamas after the Palestinian militant group threatened to execute some of the more than 100 hostages it abducted during its attack on southern Israel.
Ednews reports citing The Guardian, Macron was speaking alongside the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, who asserted the “right of Israel to defend itself”.
Macron said: “I hope the next days will allow Israel to put an end to any attack against Israel’s territory and free the hostages.” His timetable is probably shorter than the one mapped out by Israel itself, and may reflect fears in France that Israel’s reaction to the bloody assault by Hamas that has left 900 Israelis dead could lead to a regional conflagration.