France is planning together with European partners to suggest a negotiated solution to end the conflict between Iran and Israel, President Emmanuel Macron's office said on Wednesday.

At a meeting of the national security council, Macron ordered Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot to draft in the coming days "an initiative with close European partners that would propose a demanding negotiated solution to end the conflict," she said, without giving details on the nature of the plan.

Barrot has been in regular contact with his German and British counterparts since Israel launched massive air strikes against Iran on Friday.

The three countries were involved in talks that led to a historic 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers to curb Tehran's nuclear activities in exchange for relief from sanctions.

The United States withdrew from that agreement during President Donald Trump's first term.

Macron also urged Israel to stop attacks on targets in Iran that are not related to nuclear activities or ballistic missiles.

He expressed "concern about the current escalation, with Israeli strikes increasingly hitting targets unrelated to Iran's nuclear or ballistic program, and a growing number of civilian casualties in Iran and Israel," his office said.

He said it was "necessary to urgently halt these military operations, which pose significant threats to regional security," she added.

The French president also asked the foreign ministry to take measures to help French citizens leave Israel or Iran if they wish to do so, the Elysee Palace added, without giving further details.