The French leader’s comments drew the condemnation of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and reflected the growing international concern over Israel’s expanding conflicts in the region.
President Emmanuel Macron of France called for an “immediate and lasting” cease-fire in Lebanon and said countries should stop shipping weapons to Israel for use in Gaza, adding to international pressure on Israel to do more to protect civilians and work toward an end to fighting in the region.
“The priority is that we return to a political solution, that we stop delivering arms for fighting in Gaza,” Mr. Macron said on the French radio show “Etcetera” during an episode that was recorded earlier in the week and that aired Saturday. France is not currently delivering any weapons to Israel, he said.
“I think we are not being heard,” he said of calls for a cease-fire, adding “and I consider it a mistake, also for Israel’s security.”
Later on Saturday, at a summit of French-speaking countries, Mr. Macron announced that 88 Francophone countries voted unanimously to call for a cease-fire in Lebanon as part of a commitment to de-escalate tensions in the region. The United States, Egypt, Qatar and other countries have spent months trying to cobble together a cease-fire in Gaza, but they haven’t been able to get Hamas and Israel to agree.
A U.S. and French-led effort to establish a temporary cease-fire in Lebanon stalled as well.
In a statement late Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel dismissed France’s call to stop selling Israel weapons for the war in Gaza.
“Shame on them,” he said, pointing to both France and other Western nations who have called for arms embargoes against Israel. He added, “Let me tell you this, Israel will win with or without their support.”
