ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday criticized French President Emmanuel Macron after the latter called for halting arms supply to Israel, stressing that Israel will win the war with or without the French support.

"I think that today, the priority is that we return to a political solution, that we stop delivering weapons to fight in Gaza," Macron said in an interview with a French broadcaster, noting that "France is not delivering any.”

The French President also expressed “regret” regarding Netanyahu’s decision to launch a ground aggression in Lebanon, adding that France will hold an international conference in support of the Beirut in October.

"As Israel fights the forces of barbarism led by Iran, all civilized countries should be standing firmly by Israel's side. Yet, President Macron and other Western leaders are now calling for arms embargoes against Israel. Shame on them," said Netanyahu in a video statement.

As the first anniversary of October 7 approaches, tensions are high in the region amid ongoing hostilities in Lebanon and Gaza, attacks on Israel by Iran and its proxies, and a potential “severe” Israeli retaliation to Iran’s recent ballistic missile attack.

"This axis of terror stands together. But countries who supposedly oppose this terror axis call for an arms embargo on Israel. What a disgrace!” said Netanyahu, adding that Iran and its proxies are responsible for all the attacks against Israel originating from Iraq, Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria.

Israeli media on Saturday reported that the military is planning a “serious and significant" response to the recent large-scale Iranian missile attack, in which nearly 200 ballistic missiles were fired toward different regions of Israel.

The Israeli military is also reportedly planning a response against the militias in Iraq, after two of its soldiers were killed in a drone strike launched from Iraq on Friday.

At the end of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) summit, an international body of 88 French-speaking countries, Macron said that all the member states call for an “immediate and lasting” ceasefire in Lebanon.