French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “put an end to the strikes on Gaza and return to the ceasefire” following the resumption of Israel’s bombardment of the Palestinian territory.
In a phone call on Sunday, Macron emphasized that humanitarian aid must be delivered immediately and that the ceasefire, which Hamas must accept, should be restored. This call comes after Israel resumed intense airstrikes on Gaza on March 18 and launched a ground offensive, breaking a fragile truce that had been in place for nearly two months.
The Israeli airstrike on Sunday killed at least eight people, including five children, in Khan Yunis, where displaced Palestinians were observing Eid al-Fitr.
Macron also urged Israel to respect the ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israeli forces bombed southern Beirut in what they say is a response to rockets fired towards Israel. Macron had previously condemned the Beirut strikes as “unacceptable” and reiterated the need for de-escalation.
