Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by telephone with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, his office said, and told him that placing restrictions on Israel will just serve Iran and its proxies, Reuters reported.

Macron said on Saturday that shipments of arms to Israel used in the war in Gaza should be stopped as part of a broader effort to find a political solution to the conflict.

"Just as Iran supports all parts of the Iranian terror axis, so are Israel's friends expected to support it, and not impose restrictions that will only strengthen the Iranian axis of evil," Netanyahu told Macron, according to a statement from his office.

Israel has sharply escalated its attacks on Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah in recent weeks, following a year of lower level cross-border conflict waged in parallel with Israel's war against Palestinian militants Hamas, also backed by Iran, after the Oct. 7 attacks last year, read the report.

The Israeli government says it aims to allow Israelis to return to their homes in northern Israel, after being evacuated amid Hezbollah rocket attacks that began on Oct. 8 last year.

"The prime minister emphasized that Israel's actions against Hezbollah create an opportunity to change reality in Lebanon to better stability, security and peace in the entire region," the statement said.

The two leaders agreed to maintain a dialogue on the matter during the French foreign minister's visit to Israel on Monday, Netanyahu's office said.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot is on a four-day trip to the Middle East. Paris is seeking to play a role in reviving diplomatic efforts as the Gaza war has widened to Lebanon, Reuters reported.

Macron told France Inter radio on Saturday that the priority was "to get back to a political solution (and) that arms used to fight in Gaza are halted. France doesn't ship any".

"Our priority now is to avoid escalation. The Lebanese people must not in turn be sacrificed, Lebanon cannot become another Gaza," he added.

France is not a major weapons provider for Israel, shipping military equipment worth 30 million euros ($33 million) last year, according to the Defence Ministry's annual arms exports report.

Dubai's Emirates Airlines has banned passengers from carrying pagers and walkie-talkies on its flights, following last month's attacks on Lebanese group Hezbollah involving communication devices that exploded, Reuters reported.

"All passengers traveling to, from, or via Dubai are prohibited from transporting pagers and walkie-talkies in checked or cabin baggage," the airline said in a statement on its website on Friday. It added that any prohibited items found will be confiscated by Dubai Police as part of heightened security measures.

In the deadly September attacks, thousands of booby-trapped Hezbollah pagers and hundreds of radios exploded - attacks that were widely blamed on Israel but which it has not claimed, read the report.

The Middle East's largest airline also announced that flights to Iraq and Iran will remain suspended until Tuesday, while services to Jordan will resume on Sunday.

Flights to Lebanon will remain suspended until Oct. 15 due to escalating Israeli attacks against Iran-backed Hezbollah, including strikes near Beirut's airport.

Several other airlines have also suspended flights to Beirut and other regional airports amid heightened tensions, Reuters reported.

The United States will provide nearly $157 million in new humanitarian assistance to support populations affected by conflict in Lebanon and the region, the State Department said in a statement on Friday.

"This funding will address new and existing needs of internally displaced persons and refugee populations inside Lebanon and the communities that host them. The assistance will also support those fleeing to neighboring Syria," the State Department said.