Macron, Abbas call for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas and French President Emmanuel Macron called for an “urgent” ceasefire in Gaza Monday, as Hamas said it is prepared to free all hostages provided it receives guarantees Israel will end the war.

Since the collapse of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in mid-March, Israel has launched an intense military offensive in Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of people have since been displaced and Israel has blocked the entry of humanitarian aid.

In a phone call, Abbas and Macron “emphasised the urgent need for a ceasefire, the acceleration of humanitarian aid delivery (and) the rejection of the displacement of the Palestinian people from their land,” the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

“Both leaders reiterated the necessity of advancing a two-state solution based on international legitimacy”, and for the Palestinian Authority to take responsibility in the Gaza Strip after the war ends, it added.

Macron, following his conversation with Abbas, said on X that “France is fully mobilised for the liberation of all hostages, a return to a durable ceasefire and immediate access for humanitarian aid into Gaza”.

Agence France-Presse