Emanuel Macron to Benjamin Netanyahu: Resume humanitarian aid to Gaza now

French President Emanuel Macron spoke today (Sunday) with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone, discussing the importance of a ceasefire and humanitarian aid in Gaza and the full withdrawal of the IDF from Lebanon.

Macron began his recall of the conversation by reiterating that "the release of all hostages and Israel’s security are a priority for France." He also said that "I called on the Israeli Prime Minister to end the strikes on Gaza and to return to the ceasefire, which Hamas must accept. I emphasized that humanitarian aid must resume immediately."

Regarding France's stance on the plan for the "day after," he said that "we will continue working on the Arab reconstruction plan and the essential return to a political horizon based on the two-state solution, which is the only path to peace and security for both peoples." He stressed that the Trump plan for relocating Gazans cannot be a part of this: "Any forced displacement or annexation would go against this goal."

Macron then discussed Lebanon, saying that "I also called on Israel to strictly respect the ceasefire it had committed to in Lebanon. This requirement applies to all parties in order to ensure the safety of civilian populations on both sides of the Blue Line."

The French President then said that "after my discussions with the Lebanese President on Friday and this conversation with the Israeli Prime Minister, we have decided to work together. The monitoring mechanism must be strengthened to fully restore Lebanon’s sovereignty. This includes a complete withdrawal of Israel from Lebanese territory and support in order to restore the state’s monopoly on arms.

"Finally, following my phone call on Friday with Syrian President Al-Charaa, we discussed with the Israeli Prime Minister the stabilization of Syria and the restoration of its full sovereignty," presumably including the withdrawal of all IDF forces in southern Syria.

Macron ended his statement by saying that "we will continue to coordinate closely with the Israeli authorities on all these priority issues. The Middle East needs stability. Only a just and lasting peace can guarantee a future for all."

Macron has not always been so conciliatory towards Israel during the war, and has in the past called for a complete arms embargo against Israel, including shutting out Israeli companies from arms expos held in France.