In an interview with France Inter radio, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot clarified what stands behind the threats sounded yesterday by the leaders of Britain, Canada and France to take “concrete actions” unless Israel halts military activity in the Gaza Strip and allows humanitarian aid to reach residents there. Barrot said that one possible action was support for a review of whether Israel was meeting its commitments under its Association Agreement with the European Union, which forms the basis of relations between Israel and Europe.
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This is not a new stance on the part of France, which has already expressed support for an examination of whether Israel remains committed to Article 2 of the Association Agreement, which states: “Relations between the Parties, as well as all the provisions of the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles.” French president Emmanuel Macron has said in the past few days that France supports the idea, which had been considered an anti-Israel move by a handful of pro-Palestinian countries in the EU, but has recently won support from countries considered pro-Israel.
Yesterday, Macron, UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney said in a joint statement that Israel’s announcement that basic food supplies would be allowed into the Gaza Strip was “wholly inadequate”. They called on Israel to “stop its military operations” and “immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.” Contrary to the Israeli-US proposal that a new mechanism should be formed for distribution of food and aid in the Gaza Strip, the three leaders said that Israel must coordinate the provision of aid with the UN.
They also condemned the “the abhorrent language used recently by members of the Israeli Government, threatening that, in their despair at the destruction of Gaza, civilians will start to relocate,” pointing out that “permanent forced displacement is a breach of international humanitarian law.”
Starmer, Macron and Carney also called on Hamas to release immediately the remaining hostages taken in the “heinous attack” on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Published by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on May 20, 2025.
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2025.
