French President Emmanuel Macron stated on April 8, 2025, that the rapid resumption of humanitarian aid into Gaza is a "top priority." His remarks were made during a visit to El-Arish, Egypt, a key transit point for supplies intended for the Palestinian territory.

Macron characterized the current humanitarian situation in Gaza as "intolerable," emphasizing the need for aid to be restored as quickly as possible.

The region has been significantly impacted by Israel's military campaign, which was initiated in response to an attack on October 7, 2023, by Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist group.

Nearly all of Gaza's 2.4 million residents have experienced displacement due to the ongoing violence.

Israel renewed its military operations in Gaza on March 18, 2025, following a ceasefire that lasted nearly two months.

Aid deliveries have been largely blocked since March 2 due to disagreements between Israel and Hamas concerning the terms of the truce that expired in early March.

On a related note, Macron addressed a proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump to redevelop Gaza into a region referred to as the "Riviera of the Middle East," which would involve displacing current residents.

Macron dismissed this idea, stating, "it’s not a real estate project," and highlighted the plight of the Palestinian population: "two million people locked up...

After months and months of bombing, of a terrible war, tens of thousands of people have lost their lives."

During his visit, Macron toured a hospital in El-Arish, where he interacted with medical professionals and visited wounded Palestinians who had been evacuated from Gaza.

His office indicated that the visit aimed to exert pressure on Israel to allow the reopening of crossing points for humanitarian goods.

He condemned an Israeli airstrike last month that resulted in the deaths of 15 medics and aid workers, reinforcing the need for protection of such personnel during conflicts.

Emergency department physician Mahmud Mohammad Elshaer reported that the hospital had treated around 1,200 Palestinian patients since the onset of the Gaza conflict in October 2023. He noted the variance in patient admissions, with some days seeing as many as 100 patients, many suffering severe injuries such as amputations and head trauma.

In a meeting held earlier, Macron, alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II, collectively called for an immediate return to a ceasefire.

Their discussions focused on humanitarian efforts aimed at alleviating the severe conditions faced by the residents of Gaza.

A joint statement from several United Nations agencies highlighted the ongoing humanitarian crisis, stating that many Gazans are "trapped, bombed and starved again," as critical supplies struggle to reach those in need due to the ongoing blockade.