All the latest developments from the Israel-Hamas war.
French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Israel not to “widen the conflict” with Hamas, and consider releasing hostages held in Gaza as “the first objective.”
Macron made the comments during a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog.
“I think it is our duty to fight these terrorist groups, without confusion, and I would say, without widening the conflict”, Macron said.Â
“The first objective we should have today is the release of all the hostages, without any distinction”.
Macron told Israel that “you are not alone in this war against terrorism,” adding that “clearly targeting these terrorist groups and organising targeted operations is a necessity”.
The French president said the events of 7 October “will certainly never be forgotten.”
Macron’s comments come after two more Israeli hostages were released by Hamas, late Monday evening.
The hostages were identified as Yocheved Lifshitz and Nurit Cooper of the Israeli kibbutz of Nir Oz.
In a statement, Hamas said it had released them for humanitarian reasons.
The release is the second time the militant group has freed hostages seized in its bloody 7 October cross-border incursion into Israel.
Hamas says Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed 140 overnight
At least 140 people were killed in the Gaza Strip after another night of Israeli airstrike, according to the local Hamas government.
The group also reported “hundreds of injured” and “dozens of homes destroyed”. On Monday, in its latest overall report, the Hamas government announced that more than 5,000 people, including more than 2,000 children, had been killed since the start of the war on 7 October.
On Tuesday morning, France’s President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Tel Aviv to express his country’s “full solidarity” with Israel after the attack by Hamas which left more than 1,400 dead on 7 October.
Macron also called to “preserve the civilian populations” in Gaza as Israel strikes the territory in its attempt to destroy Hamas.
On Monday evening, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced that six more employees of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) had been killed in Gaza in the space of 24 hours.
This brings to 35 the number of UNRWA personnel killed since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7.
“We are lost for words”, declared the agency on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“We pay tribute to our 35 colleagues who have been killed in Gaza since October 7. We grieve and we remember. These are not just numbers. These are our friends and colleagues. Many were teachers in our schools. UNRWA mourns this huge loss”, added UNRWA.
In its daily report, OCHA highlighted the difficulties faced by humanitarian agencies in delivering aid to the people of Gaza “due to ongoing hostilities, restrictions on movement and shortages of electricity, fuel, water, medicines and other essential items.”
Since Saturday, international aid has started to trickle in via Egypt into the small territory where 2.4 million Palestinians are crowded together.
Around fifty trucks entered the Gaza Strip in three days via the Rafah crossing, the only exit from the territory not controlled by Israel.