Macron tells Netanyahu France is against Israeli offensive in Rafah

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that France opposes an Israeli offensive in Rafah.

According to the Elysée, Macron told Netanyahu of France’s “firm opposition to an Israeli offensive in Rafah, which could only lead to a humanitarian disaster of a new magnitude, as to any forced displacement of populations.”

Earlier Wednesday, the UN warned “military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza and put a fragile humanitarian operation at death’s door.”

In the call, Macron added that Israeli military action “would constitute violations of the international humanitarian law and would pose an additional risk of regional escalation.”

This chimes with a letter Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar sent to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Wednesday, calling for an “urgent review” of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and warning that Israel may be in breach of human rights obligations embedded in the pact.

Netanyahu’s office didn’t immediately reply to a question on how he responded to Macron.