French FM attempts to ease tensions in Middle East
The French Foreign Minister said that the country would impose sanctions on Israeli settlers who have committed assaults against Palestinians in the West Bank, according to Reuters.
Catherine Colonna visited Israel, Lebanon and Ramallah, Palestine’s defacto capital, starting on December 17. The announcement of the measures comes a day after the French official visited the occupied Palestinian territory where she met farmers who have been subject to attacks recently.
Colonna said in a press conference, “We will not accept these acts. France will not wait any longer. We’ve asked Israeli authorities to put an end to this and it will take national measures against certain radical Israeli settlers,”
During the trip to the region, the minister also highlighted the importance of a humanitarian truce between Gaza and Israel, where over 19,000 have been killed since Hamas’ unprecedented assault on southern Israel.
READ: France condemns Israel’s “policy of terror”in the West Bank
In recent months, Paris has made its concerns known about Israeli attacks on those living in the West Bank. On November 16, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Anne-Claire Legende said, “Concerning the West Bank, I’d like to express the strongest condemnation by France of the violence carried out by the settlers against the Palestinians.” “Violence which has the clear objective of forced displacement of the Palestinians and a policy of terror.”
This year alone, 200 have been killed in the Palestinian territory with thousands wounded and many getting wrongfully arrested by Israeli authorities. Attacks in the illegaly occupied, since 1967, territory have only worsened since October 7.
Colonna’s visit to Beirut was intended to broker with its partners some sort of an arrangement to ensure Israel and Lebanese militants Hezbollah keep to the terms of Security Council resolution 1701. The UN resolution was essential in stopping the six-day war back in 2006.
As tensions between both parties have increased recently, the French Foreign Minister noted, “Neither side is implementing it (the resolution). Both sides accepted it. We need to engage a form of de-escalation. We can’t continue like this without a serious risk of escalation,”
Reuters