French President Emmanuel Macron said the Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip "have no reason or legitimacy and must be stopped".

"De facto - today, civilians are bombed - de facto. These babies, these ladies, these old people are bombed and killed. So there is no reason for that and no legitimacy," Macron told the BBC.

In an exclusive interview at the Élysée Palace, he said there was "no justification" for the bombing.

While still saying "Israel" has the "right to defend itself," he still called for an end to the relentless bombing.

"We do urge Israel to stop," he said.

Regarding calls for a ceasefire, Macron hoped that other Western countries would join his call and agree to a ceasefire. 

His statement comes after he criticized Israeli proposals to force residents into alleged "safe zones" in the southern part of Gaza, adding that the world has to work on a humanitarian ceasefire as the only means of preserving life in the region.

In his address at the humanitarian conference held in Paris, Macron called the proposals a very bad idea that cannot guarantee the safety of those in Gaza. 

Nonetheless, attendees expressed during the meeting support for a maritime humanitarian corridor connecting southern Gaza with Cyprus.

Macron aimed to consolidate some of the various national efforts that different countries have taken up to aid the people in Gaza and to step up the calls for a humanitarian ceasefire that the UN Security Council failed to support because of political divisions in New York and that the United States and "Israel" have repeatedly rejected.

Macron's statements demonstrated a swift turn from his previous stance on the Israeli aggression on Gaza. 

Earlier this month, a group of 16 French senators, the majority of whom are members of the political party The Republicans (LR), submitted a bill, led by Senator Stéphane Le Rudulier, to make anti-Zionism a criminal felony. 

Senator Le Rudulier claims that the surge in anti-Semitism is linked to anti-"Israel" sentiment.

The proposed bill, which was introduced to the Senate for a first reading, includes sanctions for numerous movements against Zionism and "Israel's" criminal acts. It intends to penalize anyone who denies the existence of the "State of Israel" with one year in prison and a EUR 45,000 fine.

Those who insult the Israeli occupation would face two years in prison and a EUR 75,000 fine, while those who explicitly incite hatred or violence against the occupation face five years in prison and a EUR 100,000 fine.

Read next: Pro-Palestinian protesters hit with huge fines in France