French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Israel to respect the laws of war and humanitarian principles in its fight against the Palestinian Islamist Hamas Movement in the Gaza Strip.

“The fight must be merciless, but not without rules, because we are democracies fighting terrorists, democracies that respect the law and guarantee humanitarian access,” Mr Macron said.

Mr Macron was speaking on Tuesday in Tel Aviv during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Democracies do not target civilians, either in Gaza or anywhere else,” he said.

Specifically, Mr Macron called for electricity to be supplied to the hospitals in Gaza.

Mr Macron also said that a political solution to the Middle East conflict must be found and the peace process must continue.

“The stability of the region and the return to normalcy would only be guaranteed if Israel’s response to violence is relentless but also political, accepting the legitimate right of the Palestinians to a state,” the French president said.

He added that Israel’s security, the joint fight against terrorism, respect for humanitarian law and the opening of a political horizon are all inextricably linked.

(dpa/NAN)