"The President of the Republic told the Prime Minister of Israel that he was convinced that the time has come for a ceasefire. Arms supplies, the extension of the war in the Gaza Strip and its extension to Lebanon cannot ensure the security that the Israelis and all the inhabitants of the region expect. We must immediately make a determined effort to develop the political solutions necessary for the security of Israel and the entire Middle East," the Elysee Palace said in a communique.
At the same time, Macron assured Netanyahu of France's continued support and solidarity, "respect and friendship" between the two countries, and "the desire to understand each other."
The day before, Macron called for an end to arms supplies to Israel, which are used to conduct military operations in the Gaza Strip, calling such a step a priority for resolving the situation in the region.
Later, the Israeli prime minister called the proposals for an arms embargo "a disgrace" and expressed confidence that Israel would defeat pro-Iranian forces in the region without the help of those Western countries that are talking about the need to impose an embargo on arms supplies to the Jewish state. The Elysee Palace considered such statements by the Israeli prime minister too harsh.
Since October 1, Israel has been conducting a ground operation against Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon and continues aerial bombardment of the neighboring country, killing more than a thousand people, including leaders of the Shia movement, with more than 90,000 people becoming refugees. Despite losses, including in the command staff, Hezbollah is conducting ground battles and does not stop rocket attacks on Israeli territory. The main goal of the military campaign in Israel is said to be the creation of conditions for the return of 60,000 residents of the north who were evacuated due to the shelling launched by Hezbollah a year ago in support of Palestinian movement Hamas.