On Tuesday, Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, suggested that the international coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria broaden its objectives to include the conflict with Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization, in Gaza.
Macron did not elaborate on how the coalition lead by the United States and comprising other nations—of which Israel not a part—might engaged. But according to his advisors, the coalition’s involvement may involve sharing intelligence rather than just placing boots on the ground. In a Jerusalem speech with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Macron emphasized that terrorism was a “common enemy” for both France and Israel.
He told reporters, alluding to the Islamic State, “France is ready for the international coalition against Daesh in which we are taking part for operations in Iraq and Syria to also fight against Hamas.” Macron stated that the struggle against Hamas “must be without mercy but not without rules” in addition to cautioning against the potential for a regional conflagration. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, stated that the conflict was between “the free world” and the “axis of evil” but did not specifically address Macron’s ideas.
“This battle is not merely our own… it’s everybody’s battle,” he continued. In September 2014, the U.S.-led coalition battling the Islamic State established. According to Macron’s office, the alliance served as inspiration for the proposal, and France was willing to talk with Israel and other allies about potential countermeasures against Hamas. “The international coalition against Daesh does not limit itself to operations on the ground, but also involved in the training of Iraqi forces, the sharing of information between partners, and the fight against terrorism funding,” stated the statement.
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