Gaza's Humanitarian Conference, President Macron: Civilians Must Be Protected, Non-negotiable

French President Emmanuel Macron. (Wikimedia Commons/Kremlin.ru/IMploy

French President Emmanuel Macron said the protection of civilians in the Gaza Strip, Palestine was non-negotiable when he opened an international humanitarian conference on Gaza in Paris Thursday.

"Civil residents must be protected, it is absolutely necessary. This cannot be negotiated," President Macron said, adding that efforts needed to be made to realize the ceasefire.

At a conference attended by UN agencies and EU leaders, President Macron also urged the Hamas militant group to immediately release the hostages they detained unconditionally.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner General of the United Nations Aid and Work Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, in a speech at the conference accused international humanitarian rights of "not being implemented" in Gaza, as quoted by CNN affiliate BFMTV.

"I was in Gaza last week, visiting a school that houses thousands of people," said Lazzarini.

"Children who used to study and laugh at this school, today they begged for a piece of bread and water," he whispered.

It is known that about 1,400 people were killed and 240 others were held hostage, as a result of Hamas attacks on the southern region of Israel.

Citing Reuters and Xinhua, at least 10,569 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7, Gaza-based Palestinian Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qedra said the death toll included 4,324 children, adding more than 26,000 people were injured.

He also called on the international community to protect the Palestinian people from Israeli attacks, as most of the victims were children and women.