Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday reiterated to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the "absolute necessity" of establishing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. "I reiterated to the Prime Minister the absolute necessity of establishing a ceasefire in Gaza," Macron wrote on X, where he announced that he has spoken with Netanyahu.

According to Anadolu Agency, Macron emphasized the release of all hostages in Gaza and the "large-scale" delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave. He also underscored the pursuit of a political two-state solution as being of utmost importance. Additionally, Macron reaffirmed the importance of respecting the current ceasefire with Iran, which marked the end of the 12-day conflict over Tehran's nuclear program.

Macron stated, "We share the same objective: that Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons. To ensure this over time, I stressed the need to return to negotiations-on both nuclear and ballistic issues." This statement reflects the shared concerns over Iran's potential nuclear capabilities.

The recent conflict saw Israel launching airstrikes on various Iranian sites on June 13, including military and nuclear facilities, on the grounds of Iran allegedly nearing the production of a nuclear bomb-a claim Iran has strongly denied. In retaliation, Iran launched missile and drone strikes, with the US entering the fray by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday.

After 12 days of aerial combat between the two regional adversaries, a ceasefire was announced by former US President Donald Trump late Monday, and as of Wednesday, the truce appeared to be holding.