French President Emmanuel Macron demanded a "lasting ceasefire" in Gaza during a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, his office said, according to the AFP news agency.
"France will work in the coming days in cooperation with Jordan to carry out humanitarian operations in Gaza," the French presidency added in a statement.
Macron told Netanyahu of his "deepest concern" about civilian deaths and the humanitarian emergency in Gaza, according to AFP.
Netanyahu's office, in a statement summarizing Wednesday’s call, said that Netanyahu thanked Macron “for France's involvement in defending freedom of navigation and its willingness to help restore security along Israel's border with Lebanon.”
“The Prime Minister updated the French President on developments in the war to destroy Hamas in Gaza, as well as the effort to bring about the release of the hostages, and asked him to continue working for their release,” the statement added.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu made it clear that the people and Government of Israel are determined to work in every way to return the residents of the north and south to their homes,” it concluded.
While Macron visited Israel near the start of the war and expressed support for its right to defend itself from Hamas, he has also been critical of Israel at times.
In an interview last month with the BBC, the French President said that Israel "should stop killing women and babies in Gaza".
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the French President's comments in a press conference with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Minister Benny Gantz, saying that Macron "made a grave error" and adding, "We don't need these moral lectures."
A French political official later rejected Netanyahu's criticism, clarifying that Macron "has not changed his position" on Israeli action against Hamas but believes that Israel can and should do more to prevent harm to Palestinian Arab civilians in Gaza.
Macron recently appeared to cast doubt on Israel’s ability to eradicate Hamas, calling on Israel to clarify its goals in the war and claiming that totally destroying the organization could take 10 years.
Last week, the French President once again criticized Israel’s response to the Hamas October 7 attack, saying that fighting terrorism did not mean "to flatten Gaza".
He called on Israel "to stop this response because it is not appropriate, because all lives are worth the same and we defend them".
On Tuesday, France’s Foreign Ministry said that the country is "gravely concerned" by Israel's announcement that it will intensify and prolong fighting against Hamas in Gaza.
While the statement did not specifically mention it, it appears as though it was talking about Netanyahu’s comments during a meeting with IDF Intelligence Unit 9900 on Tuesday.
Netanyahu said at the conclusion of the visit, "We have soldiers on the ground, sometimes underground, and we have eyes in the sky."