Gaza Strip: France prepares resolution for immediate truce

The announced that it is working on a draft UN resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in as the US first reported a similar plan. “We think it is time to take new initiatives in the United Nations Security Council for a continuing conflict,” Christoph Lemuan, the deputy representative of the French Foreign Ministry, stressed today, recalling the disastrous humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. After over five months of conflict, the international community is intensifying efforts to reach a ceasefire against the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, where nearly 32,000 people have lost their lives, according to Hamas, in Israeli bombings carried out following the bloody attacks of the Islamist movement in Israel on October 7th. “France, in this context, assumes its responsibilities and is currently working on a draft decision”, he added, clarifying that the head of French diplomacy Stefan Sezurne discussed yesterday, Wednesday, with his counterparts from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan and Palestine “to investigate the ways for a resolution calling for a direct truce.” The official was unable to clarify when this plan could be submitted but, in his opinion, this “could receive the consent of the Security Council” as opposed to the draft resolutions previously tabled by France. Stefan Sezurne also met on Monday the representatives of the European Security Council members, namely Slovenia and Malta, Christoph Lemuan said. When asked about coordination with the United States, which announced last night that they tabled a draft resolution before the Security Council which also calls for “direct truce” and the liberation of hostages, the representative of the French Foreign Ministry said that several resolutions could be tabled. In addition, it rejected any lack of coordination between the two countries. “Obviously, we have been coordinating with the United States since the beginning of the crisis,” he said, adding that Washington is a “significant partner” based in the UN Security Council. “There is therefore dialogue with the US and there has been since the beginning of the crisis”, he said.