Israel says France’s call for halting sales of arms used in Gaza is a ‘disgrace’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hit out at France's President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday (5 October) for saying that shipments of arms to Israel used in the conflict in Gaza should be stopped as part of a broader effort to find a political solution.

"Shame on them," Netanyahu said of Macron and other Western leaders who have called for what he described as an arms embargo on Israel.

"Israel will win with or without their support," he said in a pre-recorded video released by his office, adding that calling for an arms embargo was a disgrace.

Macron earlier told France Inter radio that the priority was "to get back to a political solution (and) that arms used to fight in Gaza are halted. France doesn't ship any."

"I think that today, the priority is that we return to a political solution, that we stop delivering weapons to fight in Gaza," Macron told broadcaster France Inter. "

"The Lebanese people must not in turn be sacrificed, Lebanon cannot become another Gaza," he added.

France is not a major weapons provider for Israel, shipping military equipment worth 30 million euros last year, according to the defence ministry's annual arms exports report.

Macron's comments come as his Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot is on a four-day trip to the Middle East, wrapping up on Monday in Israel as Paris looks to play a role in reviving diplomatic efforts.

France to host Lebanon conference

France will host an international conference this month to help drum up humanitarian aid for Lebanon and strengthen security in the southern part of the country, Macron said on Saturday.

"We will hold in the next few weeks a conference to provide humanitarian aid, support the international community and support the Lebanese armed forces boost security, especially in southern Lebanon," Macron said after a meeting of French speaking countries in Paris.

Israel has begun an intense bombing campaign in Lebanon and sent troops across the border in recent weeks after nearly a year of exchanging fire with Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

Fighting had previously been mostly limited to the Israel-Lebanon border area, taking place in parallel to Israel's year-old war in Gaza against Palestinian group Hamas.

(Edited by Georgi Gotev)