French President Emmanuel Macron called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his country not to launch a new military operation in the cities of Khan Younis or Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, as well as to prevent the outbreak of war between Israel and the Lebanese group "Hezbollah", reported France Press, quoted by BTA, referring to the Elysee Palace.
A new Israeli offensive "would only increase human casualties and worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian situation," Macron warned in a telephone conversation with Netanyahu last night. The French President reiterated to the Israeli Prime Minister "how urgent it is to immediately establish a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip" and called for the plan presented at the end of May by his American counterpart Joe Biden to be implemented "without further delay".
Macron condemned "with the utmost severity" the legalization of new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, which "directly undermines the two-state solution (of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict) and peace efforts".
The war in the Gaza Strip broke out on October 7 with the surprise attack by "Hamas" against Israel. On May 7, the Israeli army launched a ground offensive in the city of Rafah in the southernmost part of the coastal Palestinian territory, which was presented as the last stage of the military operation against the Islamist movement. In recent weeks, however, intense fighting broke out again in several areas of the Gaza Strip that the Israeli army had declared it controlled, particularly in the north, AFP notes.
Eight Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in Israeli shelling in several areas in Khan Younis and Rafah yesterday. In addition, thousands of people have fled their homes under shelling, Reuters reported, citing Palestinian health officials.
In the phone call, the French president "again expressed his extreme concern over the rise in tensions between" Israel and "Hezbollah", the Elysée Palace also announced, quoted by France Press. Macron stressed to Netanyahu "the absolute need to prevent" a military conflict between Israel and the Lebanese Islamist movement, which "would harm the interests of both Israel and Lebanon, and would represent an extremely dangerous development for regional stability".
The two discussed their respective diplomatic efforts at a time when US President Joe Biden's special envoy Ames Hochstein is expected in Paris today for talks.
Concerns about an escalation of the conflict between Israel and "Hezbollah" intensified amid stalled negotiations to end the war in Gaza.
Yesterday, the Lebanese movement made it clear that it will stop shelling Israel when there is a ceasefire in the coastal strip.
/HC/
Source: www.bta.bg