France calls Israeli Gaza strategy a path to “endless violence”

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday sharply denounced Israel’s plan to escalate its assault on Gaza, calling it a grave and avoidable tragedy in the making. He urged the formation of an international coalition under United Nations authority to protect Palestinian civilians and work toward a lasting peace.

Israel’s security cabinet last week approved a plan to seize Gaza City — a decision that will intensify military operations in a territory already reduced to rubble by months of bombardment, displacement, and blockade. The move has sparked outrage around the world, with critics warning it will worsen the humanitarian crisis and entrench occupation.

“The Israeli cabinet’s decision to expand military attacks on Gaza City and the Mawasi displacement camps, and to move toward re-occupation, is a disaster of historic proportions waiting to unfold,” Macron said in a statement from his office.

He stressed that such actions threaten to plunge Palestinians into even deeper misery, stripping them of safety, dignity, and hope, while perpetuating an endless cycle of bloodshed. “The people of Gaza — men, women, and children already living under siege — will bear the brunt of this strategy, alongside Israeli hostages who remain at risk,” Macron said.