Arthur De Laborde // Photo credit: Giuseppe CACACE / AFP
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7:33 p.m., December 1, 2023
Emmanuel Macron is in Dubai this Friday to participate in COP 28. The head of state took advantage of his presence in the United Arab Emirates to meet leaders from the Near and Middle East, such as Qatar, even though the Fighting has resumed in the Gaza Strip.
But the end of the truce between Hamas and Israel overshadows the world climate summit. Priority now for Emmanuel Macron: an immediate end to the fighting. The Élysée also emphasizes that he was the first Western leader to call for a ceasefire. The French president will therefore carry out, here in Dubai, a diplomatic program parallel to that of the COP.
Preparing for the post-war
On the menu, face-to-face meetings. The Head of State was able to speak with the Israeli President, Isaac Herzog. Emmanuel Macron expressed his concern about the resumption of military operations in the south of the Gaza Strip, a place where a large part of the civilian population is massed. He asked him to return to the truce path as quickly as possible in order to negotiate, in the longer term, a ceasefire.
On the ground, after the resumption of fighting, the Rafah crossing, on the border between Gaza and Egypt, is closed. This prevents the delivery of humanitarian aid and the transfer of the wounded. The President of the Republic discussed this issue with his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah al-Sissi. Another reason for concern for Emmanuel Macron is the fact that the truce further complicates negotiations on the release of the hostages. This is the reason why, after his meeting with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, he will travel to Qatar, a key player which negotiates directly with Hamas.
The president is not fatalistic, he continues to be very determined in dealing with his various interlocutors. He thus hopes to prepare for the day after, by pleading for a political outcome, through a two-state solution, this is what one diplomat underlines in any case.