Macron on Monday condemned Israel's plan to expand its operations and take control of Gaza City as a disaster waiting to happen and proposed an international coalition under a United Nations mandate to stabilise Gaza.
"This war must end now with a permanent ceasefire," Macron said in a statement, adding Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City was "a disaster of unprecedented gravity and a headlong rush into permanent war".
Last week, Israel's security cabinet approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, in a move that expanded its military operations in the shattered Palestinian territory and drew strong criticism at home and abroad.
"The Israeli cabinet's announcement of an expansion of its operations in Gaza City and the Mawasi camps and for a re-occupation heralds a disaster of unprecedented gravity waiting to happen and of a drift towards a never-ending war," said Macron.
"Israeli hostages and the people of Gaza will continue to be the primary victims of this strategy," Macron said.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office did not immediately return a request for comment. Responding to international criticism in a press conference on Sunday, he said Israel is "applying force judiciously".
"Israel has no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas," Netanyahu added. "We have about 70 to 75 percent of Gaza under Israeli control, military control, but we have two remaining strongholds, OK? These are Gaza City and the central camps in Al Mawasi."
In his statement, Macron said it was important to establish a UN-mandated stabilisation mission to secure the Gaza Strip.
"The Security Council must now work to establish this mission and give it a mandate," he said. "I have asked my teams to work on this without delay with our partners."
By proposing a UN-mandated mission in Gaza, Macron is seeking to build on the momentum created by his recognition of a Palestinian state last month, which set off a domino of recognitions, with Britain and Canada following suit.
Read more'Enough was enough': Why France is now taking a stand on Palestinian statehood
Macron said the UN mission would be tasked with securing the Gaza Strip, protecting civilians and working in support of unspecified Palestinian governance.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)
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