Paris, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- France's Emmanuel Macron held a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Feb. 14, calling on Israel to stop its actions in the Gaza Strip and stressing the need to implement the "two-state solution."
According to the communiqué issued by the French government on the 14th, Macron said in the phone call that the situation and humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip are "intolerable" and that Israel's actions should be stopped. France categorically opposes the Israeli military operation in Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip, which would only lead to a humanitarian catastrophe on a larger scale. At the same time, Macron stressed the need to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible and avoid the spread of fighting in the region, especially in Lebanon and the Red Sea region.
Macron stressed the urgency of providing humanitarian aid to the population of the Gaza Strip on a large scale, calling on Israel to open its southern port city of Ashdod and other crossings to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
During the call, Macron expressed France's concern for Israel's security, saying that the release of all detainees is "an absolute priority" for France.
According to the communiqué, Macron also reiterated France's condemnation of Israel's settlement policy and called on Israel to stop the violence of some Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians. Macron said that only by implementing the "two-state solution" can Israel's security needs and the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians for statehood be met.
France and the Ministry of the Interior jointly issued a bulletin on the 13th, announcing sanctions against Israeli settlers who have been confirmed to have committed acts of violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, and 28 people have been barred from entering France due to sanctions.