ANKARA 

In a phone call, France’s president and Israel’s prime minister discussed rising tensions with Hezbollah along the Israeli-Lebanese border, the French Embassy in Tel Aviv said on Tuesday.

France’s Emmanuel Macron “reiterated his extreme concern about the increase in tensions between Hezbollah and Israel along the Blue Line” during his talk with Benjamin Netanyahu, the embassy said on X.

He further “underlined the absolute need to prevent a conflagration which would harm both the interests of Lebanon and Israel, and would constitute a particularly dangerous development for regional stability,” the statement added.

“The two leaders discussed ongoing diplomatic efforts in this direction,” it stressed, adding that the French leader “underlined the urgency for all parties to move quickly towards a diplomatic solution and recalled the need to observe the greatest restraint.”

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) “constitutes an essential element of this solution and its security and freedom of action must be preserved,” it said.

Macron reaffirmed France's support for a diplomatic solution for Israel and Lebanon under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, with US coordination, and Netanyahu expressed gratitude.

“Regarding Gaza, the President of the Republic (Macron) expressed his opposition to any new Israeli operation near Khan Younes (Khan Younis) and Rafah, which would only worsen the human toll and an already catastrophic humanitarian situation,” the statement stressed.

Urgent, lasting cease-fire in Gaza needed

While emphasizing the priority of “immediate and unconditional release of all the hostages,” Macron urged Netanyahu to establish an urgent and permanent cease-fire in Gaza, remove obstacles at crossing points for humanitarian aid, and swiftly implement the cease-fire plan announced in May by US President Joe Biden, it highlighted.

The French president underscored that lasting peace in Gaza and regional stability require a credible two-state solution, urging the Israeli prime minister to facilitate revenue transfers to the Palestinian authority and condemning new West Bank outposts.

The two leaders also discussed Iran, welcomed a recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolution, and condemned Iran's recent actions, reaffirming their commitment to international pressure, the statement added.

Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian group Hamas.

Nearly 38,000 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and around 87,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Over eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.