France may toughen its stance towards Israel if it continues to block humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday.
He reiterated that Paris is committed to a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"The humanitarian blockade is creating an unbearable situation on the ground," Macron said at a joint press conference with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in Singapore.
"And, therefore, if there is no appropriate response to the humanitarian situation in the coming hours and days, then we will undoubtedly have to toughen our common position," Macron added, noting that France could consider imposing sanctions on Israeli settlers.
"But I still hope that the Israeli government will change its stance and we will eventually have a humanitarian response," he added.
Under increasing international pressure, Israel last week partially ended an 11-week aid blockade on Gaza, allowing a limited amount of aid to enter through a system that has been widely criticized.
Macron said Paris is committed to working towards a political solution and reiterated his support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The existence of a Palestinian state "is not just a moral obligation, but also a political necessity," Macron told reporters in Singapore.
According to diplomats and experts, Macron is leaning toward recognizing a Palestinian state - a move that could anger Israel and deepen divisions in the West.
French officials are considering this step ahead of a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia will co-organize from June 17 to 20, to define the parameters for the path towards a Palestinian state, while guaranteeing Israel's security.
The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel says 58 hostages remain in Gaza, although about 35 are believed to be dead.
Since then, Israel's war has killed more than 53,000 people in Gaza, many of them women and children, according to Palestinian health officials. (A2 Televizion)
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