ISTANBUL

French President Emmanuel Macron denounced an Israeli blockade on humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, renewing calls for an immediate ceasefire and the reopening of aid corridors.

Speaking Monday on the sidelines of the UN Ocean Conference in the southern French city of Nice, Macron criticized the ongoing restrictions that have hindered the delivery of aid to Gaza for the past three months.

“This is a scandal that is playing out in Gaza. What’s been happening since early March is a disgrace,” he said, calling for a ceasefire “as quickly as possible," the release of hostages and the lifting of the humanitarian blockade.

He also addressed the situation involving the Madleen, a civilian vessel intercepted by Israeli authorities while attempting to break the blockade and deliver aid to Gaza.

The aid ship was carrying 12 international volunteers, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan as well as other French nationals.

Macron said France had been "vigilant" about the safety of its citizens aboard the vessel and had worked through diplomatic channels to ensure their consular protection and safe return.

"We have obviously passed on all the messages so that consular protection is granted and they can return to French soil," he said.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot also issued a statement saying that France had been in contact with Israeli authorities from the beginning to prevent any incidents.

"Since we became aware of their (the activists’) project, against the risks of which we warned them, we remained in contact with Israeli authorities,” Barrot noted.

He added that France had requested immediate access to the detained activists once they arrived on Israeli territory to provide consular assistance and facilitate their prompt return.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition sent the Madleen from Sicily, Italy on June 1 to break the blockade in Gaza and deliver aid.

The ship was carrying urgently needed supplies for the people of Gaza, including baby formula, flour, rice, diapers, women’s sanitary products, water desalination kits, medical supplies, crutches and children’s prosthetics, according to its organizers.

As Israel has continued to close all Gaza’s border crossings to humanitarian aid since early March, aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among Gaza’s 2.4 million inhabitants.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.