Macron blames Israel as France demands probe into Gaza aid delivery ‘atrocities’

Macron on Friday condemned the shooting, reiterating that “all civilian population must be protected.”

He then lit into the IDF.

“Deep indignation at the images coming from Gaza where civilians have been targeted by Israeli soldiers,” he said.

French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné also called for a probe.

“We will demand explanations and there will need to be an independent investigation to determine what happened,” he told radio station France Inter. “France calls things by their name. It says things when it comes to describing Hamas as terrorists. But it must also say things when there are atrocities in Gaza.”

U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that Washington is “urgently seeking additional information on exactly what took place.” EU leaders and several Arab countries have openly condemned Thursday’s shooting and reiterated calls for an investigation.

Israel has been under growing pressure to strike a cease-fire with Hamas and end the conflict in Gaza that began with the attack on October 7, during which the militant group killed about 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 200. The Gaza health ministry says the IDF has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians since then.  International leaders and organizations have grown progressively more critical of Israel’s retaliation in the enclave, accusing Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of not doing enough to protect civilians.

The U.N. has warned of “imminent famine” in the Gaza Strip, where risk of death by starvation “is growing, with children and pregnant women worst affected.”