French FM calls for ‘immediate and lasting truce’ in Gaza

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French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna called for an ‘immediate truce’ in Gaza while in Israel on Sunday just before travelling to meet with Palestinian authorities in the West Bank and the Lebanese authorities in Lebanon on Monday.

Colonna called for a “new, immediate and lasting truce” during a meeting with her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen, following the adoption of a non-binding UN resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza on 12 December. This request was not acted upon as the fighting continued.

Cohen said that a ceasefire would be a “mistake” and a “gift to Hamas.”

“We will fight until the end, and we will achieve our objectives: to eliminate Hamas, free the hostages and ensure that Gaza never again becomes the centre of terrorism and provocation against the State of Israel and attacks against Israel”, declared Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu at a meeting with his government on Sunday morning.

These diplomatic visits aim to “reiterate Israel’s right to defend itself” but “in strict compliance with humanitarian law and while protecting civilian populations”, tweeted Colonna.

Since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October that killed around 1200 people and took more than 200 hostages, Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip have killed more than 18,500 people, mainly women and children, according to the UNWRA.

Additionally, three French citizens are still missing, the Foreign Minister’s spokesman said on Friday.

The French Foreign Affairs Ministry also lamented the death on Saturday of one of its agents stationed in Gaza following an Israeli bombardment on 13 December. “All light be shed […] as quickly as possible,” they pleaded.

Colonna also visited the West Bank alongside representatives of the Palestinian Authority.

“We reiterate the need to support the Palestinian Authority, the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people”, said the French Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Friday.

“We strongly condemn the violence committed by extremist settlers, who terrorise Palestinian communities. […] As occupying power, Israel must protect Palestinian civilians in the West Bank”, he added in a press release.

Fear of a new Israel-Lebanon conflagration

On Monday, Colonne travelled to Lebanon to meet Lebanon’s officials and the head of the UN force deployed there.

There have been exchanges of fire between Hezbollah, a Lebanese terrorist group and political party, and the Israeli army, reawakening fears of a new Israel-Lebanon conflict since the Hamas attack.

“France, like its partners, is calling on the Lebanese political leaders to do everything possible to avoid an escalation in which Lebanon would be the first victim”, said Colonna from Tel-Aviv. We are sending “clear messages” to Hezbollah, but also to Israel, she added.

“There is still a chance of preventing war in Lebanon” and “France can play an important role”, said Cohen. On the other hand, “if the international community fails to do so, we will have no choice but to do it ourselves”, he asserted.

(Paul Messad | Euractiv.fr)