In statements at the end of an EU summit in Brussels, Macron warned that "tensions could escalate if the war continues and we may face the risk of the region igniting in fires, which would have adverse consequences," Macron warned.

"We advocate establishing a humanitarian truce in Gaza that responds to the needs of civilians."

The French president, who has defended Israel's "right to defend itself" in the aftermath of the Hamas attack on 7 October, said today that Israel "must act against specific targets in Gaza without endangering civilian lives."

"We are working with Egypt and Jordan to coordinate sending aid to Gaza," he added.

He noted that France wants to evacuate its nationals from Gaza as soon as possible.

Macron in the Middle East
 

On Wednesday, after holding talks with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo on Wednesday, Macron announced that his country would send a navy ship to the region to aid under-stress hospitals in the Gaza Strip.

He also stressed that France would not be sending any armed units to the Middle East.

In remarks to reporters before leaving Cairo, the French president warned that a "massive Israel" ground operation in Gaza would be "an error."

On Tuesday, the French president visited Tel Aviv where he met with the Israeli prime minister and president to show solidarity with Israel in its war against Hamas.

Later, he held discussions in Ramallah with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas before meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan in Amman for talks.

At more than one point in the past several days, the French president reiterated his country's support for a two-state solution to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.