ISTANBUL

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday denounced Israel’s announcement of the expansion of its military operations in Gaza City and the Mawasi camps, calling it “a predicted disaster of unprecedented gravity.”

"The Israeli Cabinet's announcement of an expansion of its operations in Gaza City and the Mawasi camps and a reoccupation by Israel constitutes a disaster of unprecedented gravity and a headlong rush into permanent war," Macron told French news broadcaster BFMTV.

"Israeli hostages and the people of Gaza will continue to be the first victims of this strategy," he added.

Macron reiterated his call for an immediate and lasting halt to the fighting.

“We must end this war now with a permanent ceasefire,” he said.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a brutal military offensive on Gaza since October 2023, killing more than 61,000 Palestinians, almost half of them women and children. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Despite mounting international concerns about escalating ethnic cleansing and genocide against Palestinians, Israel's Security Cabinet on Friday approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to expand military operations and fully occupy Gaza City.

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

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), in its interim ruling on Gaza last year, said that it's "plausible" that Israel's actions could amount to genocide. The court issued provisional measures, requiring the Israeli government to abide by international law and ensure aid and services reach Palestinians under siege in Gaza.