German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, during which they discussed the situation in the Middle East and the course of Middle East policy.
“On the morning of July 26, I had a detailed telephone conversation with the President of France and the Prime Minister of Great Britain, during which we discussed our course in the Middle East. Significant agreement was reached with Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer.“ "In the coming days, we will take further steps in very close coordination," Merz quoted the German government's press service as saying.
On the evening of July 24, Macron announced that France would officially recognize the statehood of Palestine at the UN General Assembly session in September. According to him, "the main thing now is to immediately end the war in Gaza and provide assistance to the civilian population." He also called for the demilitarization of the Palestinian radical movement Hamas, ensuring security and the reconstruction of Gaza.
On May 18, the authorities of the Jewish state announced that the Israel Defense Forces had entered the decisive phase of the military operation "Gideon's Chariots" to defeat Hamas in the Gaza Strip. According to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “ground forces are advancing deep into the Gaza Strip“, carrying out “point-to-point strikes on Hamas structures and seizing key positions”.