French President Emmanuel Macron escalated his tone on Sunday towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reaffirming his “firm opposition” to an Israeli attack on Rafah, and warning that “the forced transfer of residents constitutes a war crime.”

During a phone call with Netanyahu, Macron reiterated his call for an “immediate and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza” and “strongly condemned the recent Israeli announcements regarding settlements.” On Friday, Israel announced the confiscation of 800 hectares of land in the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank with the aim of building new settlements.