French President Emmanuel Macron has strongly rejected Israeli plans to establish safe zones in the southern part of Gaza, citing the lack of a political agreement and guarantee of safety for civilians. Macron made this announcement during a hastily organized humanitarian conference held in Paris, which was attended by politicians, NGOs, and leaders of the UN humanitarian movement.

In his address at the conference, Macron denounced the proposed safe zones as a "very bad idea" that would not effectively ensure the safety of residents due to the absence of a political consensus. Instead, he emphasized the urgent need for a humanitarian ceasefire as the only viable solution to save lives in the embattled region.

Although Israel declined Macron's invitation to attend the conference, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh was present. Shtayyeh passionately criticized the mounting civilian casualties, asking if the ongoing violence, which claimed the lives of six children every hour, constituted a sufficient bloodbath. He asserted that the conflict was not solely directed at Hamas but was harming all Palestinian people. Shtayyeh urged the international community to reject Israel's plan to relocate Gazans to the south.

Meanwhile, Martin Griffiths, the head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), voiced concerns regarding the escalation of the conflict. Griffiths described the current situation as a "wildfire" that had the potential to engulf the entire region. He emphasized that proposals for safe zones were unacceptable and had not been discussed with the UN. Griffiths stressed the need to boost the amount of aid reaching Gaza through the Rafah crossing, suggesting an increase from the current 100 trucks per day to a fivefold supply to ensure a consistent and reliable provision.

At the conference, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, expressed support for Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides' call for a one-way maritime humanitarian corridor. Christodoulides proposed a route based at the port of Larnaca, located 370 kilometers away from Gaza. The corridor would enable the storage and transportation of up to 200,000 tonnes of aid to the southwestern coast of Gaza, protected by frigates and with the unloading area declared a UN-designated controlled zone. The plan is gaining political endorsement and traction, according to Christodoulides.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also pledged his country's willingness to contribute naval assets for the corridor, provided that the proposal guarantees safety and that the landing zone possesses the necessary infrastructure.

Jan Egeland, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, stressed the urgent need for a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire, cautioning against settling for short-lived pauses in the violence. He argued that mere relief to a limited area of Gaza would not be sufficient to address the dire humanitarian situation faced by the people.

As the conference concluded, Macron expressed his intention to engage in discussions with Israeli officials regarding the ongoing crisis in Gaza. The French president sought to consolidate various national initiatives aimed at assisting the people of Gaza, while amplifying the call for a humanitarian ceasefire - a plea that has thus far encountered political divisions within the UN Security Council.

The conference served as a platform for international leaders, NGOs, and humanitarian organizations to voice their concerns and explore avenues for addressing the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The focus remained on finding a sustainable and reliable solution to alleviate the suffering of the civilian population caught in the crossfire.