Macron calls for tougher line on Israel if Gaza crisis not eased

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a tougher line to be taken on Israel if it does not act to alleviate the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

"In the coming hours and days, if there is no response that corresponds to the demands of the humanitarian situation, the collective position will of course have to be hardened," Macron said while on a visit to Singapore on Friday.

Everything depended on the decisions of the Israeli government, he said.

"It is very evident today that we cannot allow the situation to continue," Macron said, adding that the blockade of humanitarian aid was leading to an unsustainable situation on the ground.

Distributing water, food and medication was a priority, as well as allowing the injured to leave the region, he said.

Israel prevented aid from reaching the Gaza Strip after it resumed military operations on March 18 following a temporary ceasefire. The stated aim was to pressure the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas to release the remaining hostages seized on October 7, 2023.

The blockade has been eased over the past week, leading to chaotic scenes in the Gaza Strip as desperate residents attempt to access food.

Macron once again stressed the need for a political solution to the conflict, calling for the release of all the hostages and the demilitarization of Hamas to facilitate the creation of a Palestinian state.

A security architecture has to be created for the entire region, he said.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry criticized Macron heavily for his remarks, writing on X: "President Macron's Crusade Against the Jewish State Continues."

"The facts do not interest Macron. There is no humanitarian blockade.
That is a blatant lie," it continued.

The ministry said Israel was working to facilitate the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip.