CAIRO: France was considering taking additional measures against Israeli settlers, its Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne has revealed.
He also said that his country would be putting forward a draft resolution at the UN Security Council setting out a process for a politically negotiated settlement of the war in Gaza.
Sejourne was speaking at a joint press conference in Cairo with his Egyptian and Jordanian counterparts Sameh Shoukry and Ayman Safadi, respectively.
Shoukry said that the three ministers’ discussions in the Egyptian capital had covered the latest developments in the Strip, Israel’s intention to launch an attack on the Palestinian city of Rafah and the consequences of that, as well as the necessity of reaching an immediate ceasefire.
Safadi called on the UN Security Council to take measures toward a ceasefire in Gaza.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers demanded the full implementation of three Security Council resolutions including aid access to Gaza and the immediate release of all hostages, and they condemned breaches of international law.
Warning of famine and the collapse of the health system in the Strip, Sejourne, Shoukry, and Safadi also noted their opposition to any attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians.
Highlighting Egypt’s important role in peace negotiations, they urged the implementation of recent International Court of Justice provisional measures and demanded that Israel lift all obstacles to the free and safe flow of international humanitarian aid to the whole of Gaza.
In addition, the ministers said the status quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites should be maintained, and pointed out that a two-state solution to the crisis was the only option for peace and security going forward.
