French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed France's desire to avoid an escalation in the Middle East and to stand up to Iran's efforts to destabilize the region during a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, said Macron's office.

The French presidency added that Macron also reiterated to Netanyahu that France wanted an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza and that France was working on trying to ease tensions from clashes on the border between Israel and Lebanon.