French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue negotiations with Palestinian extremist organization Hamas over a release of remaining hostages and a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza war.
In a phone call on Sunday, Macron encouraged the Israeli premier to bring the negotiations, which could lead to de-escalation in the region, to a good end, according to reports from the Élysée Palace in Paris following a telephone conversation between the two politicians on Sunday.
Macron also reportedly stressed that France's priority remained the release of all hostages.
France fully supports the ongoing negotiations, it said. The fate of Palestinians in Gaza must no longer be subjected to the rule of Hamas while Israeli attacks on the coastal area must cease, according to the statement.
Macron once again reiterated his firm opposition to a planned Israeli ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons have taken refuge from fighting elsewhere in the strip.
Another round of negotiations between Hamas representatives and Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo was concluded on Sunday, according to the Palestinian extremist organization which said it would consult next with the organization's leaders in Qatar.
