French President Emmanuel Macron. AFP
Speaking to reporters following the EU summit in Brussels, the French president supported the Gaza reconstruction plan. "The plan for Gaza, which was drawn up by the Arab states, is something we support," he said.
He further referred to his recent talks on the plan, including his meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan in Paris on Wednesday and his phone discussion with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud on Thursday.
The Arab plan for Gaza reconstruction, adopted by the extraordinary Arab summit in Cairo, serves as a unified Arab response to US President Donald Trump's colonial proposal for displacing Gaza's population from their homeland.
Gaza ceasefire
Additionally, Macron strongly condemned Israel's resumption of strikes on the Gaza Strip, stressing the need to return to a ceasefire and protect civilians.
He said that the Israeli strikes on Gaza, despite the mediators' efforts, were a major step in the wrong direction after the ceasefire agreement with Hamas in January.
He also described Israel's action as a "dramatic step backwards."
"We support a ceasefire, which is essential, the release of all hostages by Hamas, which is a necessity, and a two-state political solution," the French president told reporters.
Macron also emphasised the significance of the upcoming conference on implementing the two-state solution, which France and Saudi Arabia will co-chair in June. The conference aims to provide a political perspective for Israelis and Palestinians.
Furthermore, the French president appreciated Arab efforts to reach a framework for the "day after" in Gaza, stressing that this framework must serve as the basis for discussions on Gaza.
"We will work together to reopen a much-needed political horizon," Macron wrote on X.
On Tuesday, Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Gaza, killing over 700 Palestinians and injuring another 900, mostly women and children.
Egypt and other countries have condemned the Israeli airstrikes as a blatant violation of the ceasefire deal and a dangerous escalation that threatens to have serious consequences on regional stability.
The Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip marks the most violent breach of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US on 15 January.
The deal's first phase took place between 19 January and 1 March. During that period, Hamas released 33 captives, including eight bodies, while Israel freed around 1,800 Palestinian prisoners.
Since then, Hamas has pushed for negotiations on a second phase.
However, Israel sought to extend the first phase until mid-April while ignoring calls to proceed to the agreement's second phase. Instead, Israel, while adamant about Gaza's complete demilitarisation and Hamas' removal, has refused to give any guarantees for a permanent end to the war.
Short link: