Macron's Proposal for International Coalition Against Hamas Receives Little Support

Despite Macron's calls for a united front against Hamas in response to the October 7 assault on Israel, Arab nations seem disinterested; experts question what an international coalition could offer the already advanced Israeli counter-terrorism sector.

• French President Emmanuel Macron proposed the expansion of the international coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) to also combat Hamas in response to the latter's recent assault on Israel.
• The proposed anti-Hamas coalition does not involve sending troops on the ground but rather focuses on intelligence sharing and combating the financing of terrorism; the specific operations would largely be determined by the needs expressed by the partners, particularly Israel.
• Macron's proposal has so far seen limited success and no public endorsement from the Middle Eastern countries he visited, including Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, and Egypt.
• U.S. officials are aware of Macron's proposal, but it is yet to gain serious consideration due to a lack of apparent interest in the initiative from Arab nations. U.S. officials stressed the critical role of Arab participation for the success of any multi-national operation.
• Middle-East researcher Héloïse Fayet questioned what France, along with other countries, could contribute to Israel, given that Israel is one of the most advanced nations in the combat against terrorism.

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