The Elysee Palace said Tuesday that French President Emmanuel Macron did not hear the explosions that occurred near his hotel in Damascus earlier in the day, according to i24NEWS. The statement confirmed Macron is on his way to meet with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. A security source had said the blasts were caused by an explosive device.
At 11:25 Jerusalem, i24NEWS reported that the Élysée Palace stated French President Emmanuel Macron did not hear the explosions that occurred near his hotel in Damascus on Tuesday morning, and that he is on his way to meet Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. The statement aligns with earlier Élysée Palace confirmations, first reported by The Zioneer at 10:42, that Macron had already departed his hotel roughly 15 minutes before the blasts and was en route to the meeting.
The Zioneer's initial coverage at 10:42 cited multiple sources: a French security source told AFP of two explosions near a hotel previously used by the French president; Israeli media confirmed Macron was unharmed and the meeting with al-Sharaa proceeded as planned; and the Élysée Palace issued an official statement that Macron was unaware of the explosions. At 10:45, Syrian state television broadcast footage of Macron and al-Sharaa meeting to dispel rumors. Subsequent bulletins at 11:11 confirmed the visit would continue, at 11:14 that Macron had arrived at the palace, and at 11:21 that an explosive device had detonated near the hotel.
The visit marks the first by a Western head of state to Syria since the fall of the Assad regime, as The Zioneer reported Monday.
The source of the device remains unconfirmed. A security source cited by i24NEWS described it as an explosive device, but no group has claimed responsibility, and no official investigation has been announced.
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