The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine welcomes the statement made by French President Emmanuel Macron

 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine welcomes the statement made by French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday Oct 5, in which he stressed the need to halt arms exports to Israel during its war on the Gaza Strip. President Macron emphasized that the priority today must be focused on finding a political solution to end the conflict.

The Ministry views President Macron’s statement as fully consistent with international law, relevant UN resolutions, human rights principles, and in support of the two-state solution. At the same time, the Ministry calls on those countries that continue to support Israel, the Occupying Power, in its war to respect and enforce international law, pressuring the illegal Occupying Power to end its genocide against our people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory including East Jerusalem,  and in the Republic of Lebanon. The Ministry further urges these nations to compel Israel, the Occupying Power, to comply with international law and implement the relevant UN resolutions, leading to an end to the Israeli occupation and Israeli settlements on the territory of the State of Palestine, in accordance with the UN General Assembly’s resolution adopting the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds those countries providing Israel, the Occupying Power, with military equipment complicit in its continued crimes against the Palestinian people. The Ministry also calls upon States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) to act decisively to stop Israel’s use of arms and military equipment in committing grave violations of international humanitarian law and human rights against Palestinian civilians. These states must immediately impose a comprehensive solution and arms embargo on the Occupying Power as Article 6 of the ATT indicates that States Parties shall not authorize any transfer of conventional arms if states have knowledge that these arms would be used in the commission of genocide, crimes against humanity, grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, attacks directed against civilian objects or civilians protected as such, or other war crimes as defined by international agreements.