Mo: Macron, ‘stop exports of used weapons to Gaza and Lebanon, the only lever to end conflicts’
“Ceasing exports of weapons used in Gaza and Lebanon is the only lever to put an end to the conflicts.” This was declared by French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking on Med 9 in Cyprus.
“France has called for an end to arms exports for use in these theaters of war. Other leaders have done the same. We all know that this is the only lever that can put an end to all this,” the French President said during a summit in Cyprus of the leaders of the Mediterranean countries of the European Union. “This is in no way a call to disarm Israel against the threats against this country and this friendly people”, he added.
“Macron and Pedro Sánchez have relaunched the appeal to the international community against the sale of arms to Israel, while on this very delicate front the Italian Prime Minister preferred to take a step back: proof of this is the joint note from the leaders of France, Spain and Italy, in which there is no mention of military supplies”, writes the Corriere della Evening.
Med9: Meloni finds support in Cyprus Macron and Sanchez, ‘condemnation for IDF attacks on Unifil’
On the heights of Paphos, in Cyprus, the breeze coming from the sea blows strongly among the olive trees. What is worrying, however, are the winds of war that are blowing not far from here: in Lebanon but above all in Gaza, which is just 400 kilometers from the place that hosts the summit of the 9 European countries of the Mediterranean, in the luxurious setting of the Minthis Resort golf club. Tensions in the Middle East and the recent offensive by Israeli forces against the Unifil bases in Lebanon could only be at the center of the Med9 summit and the discussions between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her EU colleagues. The Prime Minister finds support in the head of the Elysée Emmanuel Macron and in the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez when it comes to condemning Israel’s repeated attacks on the Italian Unifil bases. As partners of the mission established in 1978 by the United Nations after Israel’s first invasion of Lebanon, the leaders of Italy, France and Spain – as part of the Med9 work – signed a joint declaration to reiterate their “indignation” after the wounding of some Unifil soldiers in Naqoura: “These attacks constitute a serious violation of Israel’s obligations under United Nations Resolution 1701” and “must cease immediately” order the three countries, inviting Israel to commit to the security of the UN missions. “As Italy, I cannot help but condemn what happened again. It is not acceptable” Meloni would later say in the final declarations at the end of the summit. The Prime Minister defines the work carried out by the Italian military in the UN mission and in the bilateral Mibil mission as “precious”, reiterating her government’s commitment to monitoring the situation in Lebanon. It is necessary, according to Meloni, “to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon and the release of the Israeli hostages” who are still in the hands of Hamas.
Gorgia Meloni – according to what Corsera reports – could call Netanyahu in the next few hours to verbally renew his condemnation for the attacks against the headquarters and two Unifil bases.
The Cyprus summit is an opportunity for a bilateral meeting between Meloni and King Abdullah II of Jordan, the host country of the summit and a “fundamental” player for the stability of the entire region, underlines the prime minister. The sovereign speaks with the Prime Minister about the situation of Syrian refugees and presents his plan for a ‘Gaza humanitarian gateway’ aimed at overcoming the obstacles that continue to slow down the distribution of aid, receiving Italian support “also on the basis of the collaboration already as part of the Italian initiative ‘Food for Gaza'”, recalls Palazzo Chigi in a note.
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