The deal between Israel and Hamas to free 50 hostages held by the Palestinian militant group should be "broadened" and the "humanitarian pause" it brings used to work towards a "lasting ceasefire", the French President Emmanuel Macron said after a meeting with foreign ministers from Arab and Muslim countries.
Macron hosted a delegation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Foreign ministers from major Arab and majority-Muslim countries in Paris on Wednesday.
The Paris leg of the diplomatic tour came on the back of meetings in Beijing, Moscow and London, and will be followed up by a meeting in Washington DC.
"There will be no lasting ceasefire without very solid guarantees on Israel's security," Macron told top diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian territories, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey as well as the secretary general of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Macron's comments came shortly after the announcement of a deal between Israel and Hamas for the release of some hostages on both sides and a "humanitarian pause" in fighting in the Gaza Strip.
But he indicated that international diplomatic efforts to free the remaining hostages and negotiate a ceasefire were far from over.
"We are working tirelessly to get all of the hostages freed," Macron wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Among them are eight French citizens.
In the ministerial tour’s fourth leg in #Paris| FMs of the Arab - Islamic Committee meet w/ FM @MinColonna of France; following their insightful meeting w/ HE Mr. President Emmanuel Macron. pic.twitter.com/MwQQaIJSqt
— Egypt MFA Spokesperson (@MfaEgypt) November 22, 2023
Macron's office said the Egyptian minister mentioned his intention to "facilitate humanitarian access to Gaza" and the possibility of the UN Security Council adopting a resolution on the issue.
France has reined in its initial support for Israeli retaliation over Hamas's 7 October attacks in which 1,200 people were killed.
With deaths in the Gaza strip mounting to over 14,000 in six weeks of Israeli bombardment and ground invasion, Macron last weekend told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu there were "too many civilian casualties" among Palestinians.
Two-state solution
Earlier on Wednesday, British Foreign Minister David Cameron hosted foreign ministers from Arab and other countries belonging to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in London to discuss cooperation on the conflict.
Discussions "focused on how to secure the release of all hostages, increase the amount of aid into Gaza, and reach a long-term political solution to the crisis", according to a UK government press release.
The ministers discussed efforts to "reinvigorate" diplomatic efforts towards a two-state solution.
"We discussed how to use this step forward to think about the future and how we can build a peaceful future which provides security for Israel but also peace and stability for the Palestinian people," said Cameron, who is expected to visit the region on Thursday.
During a joint meeting in Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Moscow "affirmed Russia's support for an immediate ceasefire" but condemned the "collective punishment of the civilians of the Gaza Strip."
Ministerial Committee Mandated by the Joint Arab-Islamic Summit holds an Official Meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister: https://t.co/vMjNt0cAy9 pic.twitter.com/kEW7PcCASs
— OIC (@OIC_OCI) November 22, 2023
In China, the delegation had met with Vice-President Han Zheng, who said that China is "keen to coordinate and work jointly with Arab and Islamic countries to achieve a ceasefire and calm in Gaza as quickly as possible.
In Washington, the White House said President Joe Biden had spoken to Netanyahu on Wednesday and "emphasised the importance of maintaining calm along the Lebanese border as well as in the West Bank."
The White House has pressed Israel not to escalate clashes with Hezbollah, for fear of sparking a war that could drag in US and Iranian forces.
Biden also spoke to the leaders of Qatar and Egypt Wednesday, as he pushed for the truce to be "fully implemented" and to "ultimately secure the release of all hostages."
(With newswires)
