Following Hamas‘s multipronged invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel and Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip, led by the group, went to war. Following the withdrawal of Hamas militants from Gaza, the Israeli military conducted a heavy air campaign against Gazan targets prior to launching a massive ground invasion.

Over 10,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children under the age of 18, and over 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians, have died as a result of the fighting. More than two hundred forty-four Israelis and foreign nationals were kidnapped and transported to the Gaza Strip.

A gathering of Western and Arab officials is taking place in Paris to decide how best to assist the civilian population of Gaza.

A conference on how to help civilians in the Gaza Strip during Israel’s war with Hamas is taking place this Thursday in Paris. Attendees include representatives from Western and Arab countries, the UN, and nongovernmental organizations. Proposals for a humanitarian maritime corridor and floating field hospitals are among the aid measures being discussed.

Speaking on Thursday at a conference about aid to Gaza, French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israel to protect civilians, saying that fighting terrorism “can never be carried out without rules” and that “all lives have equal worth.” 

Emmanuel Macron Over fifty countries are expected, according to the French presidency. These include several European countries, the United States, and regional powers like Jordan, Egypt, and the Gulf states. Muhammad Shtayyeh, the prime minister of Palestine, is also in attendance.  According to the Elysee, there will be no Israeli officials present at the conference on Thursday.

The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, and the senior official overseeing U.N. aid are expected to provide details about urgent needs in the Gaza Strip.

An estimated $1.2 billion will be required to address the situation in Palestinian areas, where more than 1.5 million people—roughly 70% of Gaza’s population—have fled their homes. Nikos Christodoulides, the president of Cyprus, plans to suggest a humanitarian sea corridor so that Gaza can receive a “sustained, secure, high-volume flow of humanitarian assistance in the immediate, medium, and long term.”

In the Mediterranean, off the coast of Gaza, French officials stated they were also thinking about transporting injured individuals onto hospital ships. Because of this, Paris has sent a helicopter carrier off the coast of Cyprus and is preparing to send another, this one carrying medical supplies. On Thursday, the topic of financial support and other ways to help Gaza’s civilian populace will also be covered.

It is anticipated that France will declare some more funding. Through the United Nations and other partners, Paris has given an additional 20 million euros ($21.4 million) in humanitarian aid to Gaza since the Hamas attack on October 7. Additionally, 54 tons of aid have been sent to Egypt via three flights.

The German government declared on Tuesday that it will release 71 million euros already allocated for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in addition to adding 20 million euros in new funding, following an assessment it carried out in the wake of the Hamas attack.

Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, are also present at the conference. The leading international donor of aid to the Palestinians is the 27-nation bloc. This year, it has shipped close to 78 million euros.