A ceasefire has come into force between Hamas and Israel in Gaza, to finally bring the brutal fighting to an end and alleviate the suffering of 2.1 million Palestinians in the enclave.
The war in Gaza, which claimed the lives of more than 46,000 Palestinians and injured over 111,000 others, sparked international anger as it caused dire humanitarian crisis in the Strip and brought the region to the brink of an all-out war.
The brutality of the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians have increased Israel’s international isolation and pushed many people to speak out against the war crimes committed by Israel against the people of Palestine.
In the light of this, the Former French Prime Minister, Dominique de Villepin, has spoken out against his government’s approach to the war in Gaza, warning of the consequences of Israel’s policies towards the Palestinians.
Dominique de Villepin: An Esteemed Political Career
Dominique de Villepin is a French politician, who served as France’s Prime Minister from May 2005 to May 2007, under the former President, Jacques Chirac. He also served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2002 to 2004.
As a Foreign Minister, de Villepin opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, delivering a powerful speech at the UN in which he denounced the US case for war and received loud applause.
De Villepin also served as the Minister of Interior, from 2004 to 2005.
Historical Scandal
During a radio interview with France Inter in September 2024, De Villepin harshly criticized the French government’s policies towards the war in Gaza.
“We no longer have a voice on the international stage. We have Ukraine, which is accelerating, degrading itself. We have Gaza, which is undoubtedly the greatest historical scandal. I don’t even dare to find a reference,” he said.
No Media Coverage
The former French Prime Minister also pointed to the lack of media coverage for the war. “And no one talks about it in this country anymore. It’s silence. The media doesn’t talk about it anymore. I have to google to find a brief that gives me news of the number of deaths in Gaza,” he noted.
“It is a real scandal on the level of democracy. And all this in the name of what? In the name of war,” de Villepin said.
“The war in Gaza is not exactly a war like the others since these are civilian populations who are dying. So, this is absurdity and France is vanishing. It is France that is paying the bill and I cannot accept it,” he added.
Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis
Responding to a question regarding the number of victims in Gaza and the dire humanitarian and health conditions in the enclave, de Villepin said: “There’s not only the Hamas Ministry of Health which says that there are 40,000 deaths. There are probably many more.”
He added: “So, in the light of this, let’s not give the impression that it is an unreliable number. It is, unfortunately, an everyday reality. In Gaza, bodies, hearts, souls and heads are teared to pieces. And the idea of rebuilding all this, there is no prospect.”
Reoccupying Gaza
The former French Prime Minister accused Israel of attempting to reoccupy Gaza. “One must see that Israel is trying to create the conditions for a reoccupation of Gaza. Whether in the southern line, whether in the line that cuts in the middle, Israel has regained possession of Gaza. The creation of a perimeter around it,” he noted.
“Gaza is completely besieged. And that happens at a time when the West Bank is breaking down. We see it in the northern West Bank and in the southern West Bank. We are in front of a real time bomb,” de Villepin warned.
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