French President Emmanuel Macron cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that forcibly relocating people from the southern Gaza city of Rafah would amount to committing a war crime.
Macron also reiterated his opposition to any military action by Israel in Rafah. At least 32,333 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s ongoing genocide on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said on March 25.
Macron further denounced Israel’s recent announcement of appropriating 800 hectares of land in the West Bank for new settlements, describing it as one of the largest land seizures in decades.
During their telephone conversation, Macron informed Netanyahu of his intention to propose a resolution at the UN Security Council calling for an immediate and enduring ceasefire. He urged Israel to promptly open all Gaza crossing points.
The Israeli genocide, now in its 172 day, has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
