France’s Macron urges Israel to avoid escalation

PARIS (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday urged Israel to avoid any further escalation in the Middle East following Iran’s attack.

Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday night in response to a suspected Israeli attack on Iran’s Syria consulate on April 1.

“We will do all we can to avoid things flaring up, escalating, ” Macron said, urging Israel to aim to isolate Iran rather than escalate the situation.

“We are all worried about a possible escalation,” Macron told BFM TV and RMC radio. “The situation is very unstable today.”

Macron added that he would work to try and obtain ceasefires during the upcoming summer Olympics in Paris, in line with the Games’ longstanding goal of promoting peace through sport.

“We’ll do all we can to have an Olympics truce,” he said, saying he had the Middle East in mind, as well as Ukraine and Sudan.

“China’s president will visit Paris in a few weeks, I will ask him to help me (to get an Olympics truce),” Macron said. Xi Jinping is expected to visit Paris next month.

“The Games are also a time for diplomacy, peace,” Macron said.

(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon and Ingrid MelanderEditing by Tassilo Hummel, David Goodman, William Maclean)