EL-ARISH, Egypt: French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday called the rapid resumption of aid into Gaza a 鈥渢op priority鈥� during a visit to the Egyptian city of El-Arish, a key transit point for supplies to the war-battered Palestinian territory.
鈥淭he situation today is intolerable,鈥� Macron said near the border with Gaza, calling for the 鈥渞esumption of humanitarian aid as quickly as possible.鈥�
Nearly all of Gaza鈥檚 2.4 million residents have been displaced 鈥� many multiple times 鈥� by Israel鈥檚 devastating military campaign, launched in response to the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel led by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
Israel resumed its assault on Gaza on March 18, following a nearly two-month-long ceasefire.
Since March 2, it has blocked the entry of humanitarian aid into the territory after disagreements with Hamas over how to proceed with the truce after its first phase expired.
When asked about US President Donald Trump鈥檚 proposal to take over the territory and redevelop it into what he has called the 鈥淩iviera of the Middle East,鈥� displacing its Palestinian residents, Macron said 鈥渋t鈥檚 not a real estate project.鈥�
鈥淭he reality is that you have two million people locked up... After months and months of bombing, of a terrible war, tens of thousands of people have lost their lives,鈥� said the French president.
鈥淵ou have tens of thousands of children who are mutilated without families. This is what we鈥檙e talking about when we talk about Gaza.鈥�

Alongside his Egyptian host Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Macron earlier toured a hospital in the port city, 50 kilometers west of the Gaza Strip, and met with medical professionals and sick and wounded Palestinians evacuated from Gaza.
Carrying a bouquet of red roses to give to patients, the French president visited several wards as well as a play area for children.
His office said the trip was aimed at piling pressure on Israel for 鈥渢he reopening of crossing points for the delivery of humanitarian goods into Gaza.鈥�
He also condemned an Israeli attack last month that killed 15 medics and aid workers, according to the UN and Palestinian rescuers.
鈥淎bove all, humanitarian workers must be protected when they intervene, because they are not stakeholders鈥� in the conflict, Macron said.
Emergency department doctor Mahmud Mohammad Elshaer said the hospital had treated around 1,200 Palestinian patients since the Gaza war began in October 2023.
鈥淪ome days we can receive 100 patients, others 50,鈥� Elshaer said, adding that many had limbs amputated or sustained eye or brain injuries.
In Cairo, Macron, El-Sisi and Jordan鈥檚 King Abdullah II called for an 鈥渋mmediate return鈥� to the ceasefire.
The three leaders met on Monday to discuss the war and humanitarian efforts to alleviate the suffering of Gaza鈥檚 2.4 million people.
In a joint statement on Monday, the heads of several UN agencies said many Gazans are 鈥渢rapped, bombed and starved again, while, at crossing points, food, medicine, fuel and shelter supplies are piling up, and vital equipment is stuck鈥� outside of the blockaded territory.