Macron condemns attacks on Israel after urgent diplomatic talks

PARIS (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday condemned the attacks against Israel, and said he had discussed the situation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other regional leaders.

The French presidency said Macron had held talks with Abbas, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

"The President expressed his concerns over the situation and reminded each of them of the importance of condemning unequivocally the terrorist attacks against Israel, its soldiers and its people," said a statement from Macron's Elysee office.

Macron had written earlier on Saturday that he had spoken with Netanyahu and Israel President Isaac Herzog.

"France stands in solidarity with Israel and the Israelis, committed to their security and their right to defend themselves," he said on social media platform X.

Abbas urged Macron to intervene to stop the "Israeli aggression", either conducted by "the occupation forces or the settler groups against the Palestinians," the official news agency WAFA reported.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Michel Rose; editing by Jason Neely)