French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Israel to end its blockade of relief delivery to Gaza, the war-torn Palestinian territory during his visit to El-Arish, Egypt, on Tuesday.
El-Arish is a major transit hub for aid headed to Gaza.
Macron visited a hospital in the port city, which is 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of the Gaza Strip, with his Egyptian host Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
While in the city Macron said “the situation is intolerable,” and called for “the resumption of humanitarian aid as quickly as possible” to the territory.
He also “strongly condemned” an Israeli attack on paramedics and aid workers last month.
His office said the trip was aimed at piling pressure on Israel for “the reopening of crossing points for the delivery of humanitarian goods into Gaza”.
Israel cut off aid to Gaza in early March, during an impasse over next steps in a ceasefire with Hamas.
Later in March, Israel resumed intense bombardment across the territory and restarted ground operations.
Emergency department doctor Mahmud Mohammad Elshaer said the hospital had treated around 1,200 Palestinian patients since the Gaza war began in October 2023.
In Cairo, Macron, Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II called for an “immediate return” to the ceasefire.
The three leaders met on Monday to discuss the war and humanitarian efforts to alleviate the suffering of Gaza’s 2.4 million people, the vast majority of whom have been displaced at least once during the war.
In a joint statement on Monday, the heads of several UN agencies said many Gazans are “trapped, bombed and starved again, while, at crossing points, food, medicine, fuel and shelter supplies are piling up, and vital equipment is stuck” outside of the blockaded territory
