Netherlands and France Leaders Visit Israel in Succession... Pressure to Postpone Ground Offensive

Western leaders, including Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and French President Emmanuel Macron, are reportedly visiting Israel one after another. Following U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Israel, major Western leaders have been visiting Israel in succession, which is expected to further delay the timing of Israel's ground troop deployment in the Gaza Strip. It is known that these leaders are putting pressure on Israel regarding the deployment of ground forces, the rescue of hostages held by Hamas, and the overall Palestinian issue.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

According to the Times of Israel on the 22nd (local time), the Israeli Prime Minister's Office announced that Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is scheduled to visit Israel and hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Following this, on the 23rd, French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit Israel and meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office stated in a press release, "We express our gratitude to the West for supporting Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas's brutal terror," emphasizing, "Israel's victory over Hamas will be a victory for the entire world."

The main reason for the consecutive visits of the Dutch and French leaders to Israel is interpreted as an effort to resolve the issue of hostages held captive by Hamas and to delay Israel's ground troop deployment and large-scale military operations.

On the same day, the Dutch Prime Minister's Office confirmed that Prime Minister Rutte will visit Israel on the 22nd and hold talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Separately, the Dutch Prime Minister's Office also stated that Rutte will hold talks with Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority.

The Dutch government is reportedly demanding a fact-finding investigation from the Israeli side regarding the death of a Dutch national woman in the Gaza Strip. Earlier, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that a 33-year-old Dutch woman who visited the Gaza Strip to see her family just before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict died, and Prime Minister Rutte stated in a press release that he demanded a fact-finding investigation during a phone call with Prime Minister Netanyahu on the same day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.