French President Emmanuel Macron called on Israel to stop the escalation in Lebanon and to silence the guns in the Gaza Strip, where the war has “lasted far too long” causing “without any justification” the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians.

“It is imperative that a new phase begins in Gaza, that the guns fall silent, that humanitarian organizations return, that the civilian population is finally protected,” Macron stressed during his speech at the UN General Assembly, adding that France will participate ” to any initiative that will save lives.”

The French president once again condemned “the horrific and unprecedented terrorist attack” launched by Hamas on October 7 in Israel. “Terrorism is unacceptable, regardless of the cause,” he stressed, recalling that 48 Frenchmen were among the victims of the Hamas attack. However, he stressed that “too many innocent people have been killed” in Israeli retaliation and this is a “scandal for humanity”.

He also called on Israel to “stop the escalation in Lebanon” and Hezbollah to stop its attacks on Israeli soil. “There cannot and must not be a war in Lebanon,” the French president emphasized.

President Macron also said France’s new foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, would travel to Lebanon at the weekend as part of the Paris initiative to avoid “regional conflagration”.