France's Macron tells Israel's Netanyahu to end Gaza plight

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the suffering of civilians in the Gaza Strip, saying only a ceasefire can secure the release of remaining Israeli hostages.

"The ordeal the civilian populations of Gaza are going through must end," Macron wrote on X after a phone call to Netanyahu on Tuesday. He also called for opening all humanitarian aid crossings into Gaza.

The United Nations has warned that Gaza's humanitarian crisis is worsening, with no aid deliveries entering for weeks.

Macron also reiterated that France remains committed to the release of all hostages and the demilitarization of Hamas. He expressed hope for a ceasefire, renewed humanitarian access, and progress toward a political two-state solution.

The French president said the ceasefire was the only way to ensure the liberation of further hostages.

On Monday, Hamas said Israel had proposed a 45-day ceasefire in exchange for the release of half the hostages.

According to a Hamas official, Israel also demanded disarmament—something the group called a "red line."

Last week, Macron raised tensions with Israel by suggesting France may recognize a Palestinian state at a UN conference in June. Israel has said such recognition is premature.

Macron argues that French recognition could encourage others to do the same — and potentially persuade states that do not currently recognize Israel to shift their stance.

A statement from Netanyahu's office said the Israeli prime minister expressed to the French president his "strong opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state, stating that it would be a huge reward for terrorism."

US officials have detained Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student at Columbia University, after he arrived for an interview for his US citizenship petition.

Mahdawi, who was born and raised in a refugee camp in the West Bank, moved to the United States in 2014 and was granted permanent residency in 2015.

He was arrested at an immigration office in Vermont state on Monday.  

A friend of Mahdawi recorded a video of the Palestinian student being led to a car by authorities while he is seen giving a peace sign with his hands.

It was not clear where the authorities are holding Mahdawi.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is has said he is "deeply alarmed" by Sunday's Israeli strike on the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza.

The UN head stressed that under international humanitarian law, the wounded, medical staff, and healthcare facilities must be protected, his spokesman said.

"The Secretary-General is deeply alarmed by Sunday's strike by Israeli forces on Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, incapacitating the hospital in Gaza City and dealing a severe blow to an already devastated healthcare system in the Strip," the spokesperson said.

He also said medicine, food, and water in Gaza were reportedly running dangerously low.

According to hospital staff, two Israeli missiles hit the facility, disabling the emergency department and damaging other buildings. Medics said patients were evacuated after a call from someone identifying as Israeli security that warned of the impending strike only 18 minutes before it happened.

Israel said the attack targeted Hamas fighters allegedly using the hospital.

Israeli forces have killed dozens of civilians, including women and children, in Lebanon since a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect on November 27, the United Nations says.

"According to our initial review, at least 71 civilians have been killed by Israeli forces in Lebanon since the ceasefire came into effect," UN rights office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters in Geneva. "Among the victims are 14 women and 9 children," he added, calling for an immediate end to the violence.

The UN said Israeli strikes have hit civilian infrastructure in Lebanon over the past four months, including homes, medical facilities, roads, and at least one cafe. Israel says its near-daily strikes are aimed at facilities of the militant group Hezbollah. 

The southern suburbs of Beirut were also struck in early April for the first time since the truce, including areas near two schools.

Kheetan warned that despite the ceasefire, "people remain gripped by fear, and over 92,000 are still displaced from their homes."

France's Emmanuel Macron has urged Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu to bring to an end the suffering of the people of Gaza.

The two leaders spoke in a telephone conversation in which Netanyahu expressed his opposition to Paris's recognition of a Palestinian state.

Meanwhile, the UN says more than 70 civilians have been killed in Lebanon since a truce with Israel. 

Follow us for more developments in the Middle East on Tuesday April 15.