France presents new Gaza ceasefire draft to UN

ceasefire draft

France has presented a new Israel-Gaza ceasefire resolution draft to UN Security Council (UNSC) member states, addressing humanitarian concerns, the release of hostages by Hamas, and the recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state in accordance with its 1967 borders.

An official announced the proposal of the “comprehensive” ceasefire draft to the UNSC on April 1st, according to Reuters.

France’s permanent representative to the UN, Nicolas de Riviere, told reporters that the new draft “deals with the most pressing matters” of calling for an immediate and unlimited ceasefire, as-well-as the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

A copy of the text obtained by Arab News calls for a ceasefire that guarantees “the protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel as well as the massive delivery of humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza,” which faces “alarming levels of acute food insecurity.” This would involve the opening of all crossing points into and inside the Palestinian enclave, and the opening of Israel’s Ashdod land route from Jordan to the besieged enclave.

READ: UN accuses Israel of “starvation campaign” in Gaza

The draft demands the “immediate and unconditional release” of all hostages held by “Hamas and other terrorist groups,” ensuring their humane treatment, and requests that the UN secretary general develop options for a UN role to monitor the ceasefire.

It condemns “in the strongest terms, the heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas and other terrorist groups” on October 7th, 2023, and the taking of hostages,” and “sexual violence including rape used as a weapon of war, committed by Hamas and other terrorist groups.”

The draft also addresses Gaza’s reconstruction, recovery, and governance, stressing the importance if “the re-establishment of effective control over the enclave by the Palestinian Authority (PA) that would ensure contiguity with Jerusalem and the West Bank.”

READ: Palestine: New era for the Palestinian Authority?

De Riviere said the UNSC must address the root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and that “the ongoing crisis has shown that a negotiated solution should be achieved urgently through decisive and irreversible measures toward a two-state solution,”  where “two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders based on the 1967 lines.”

“France believes that it’s now high time to adopt a comprehensive approach in order to end the ongoing crisis in Gaza, allow de-escalation in the region and ensure that no October 7th can ever happen again,” he added.

No timeline as to a vote on the draft ceasefire resolution has yet been set.

Reuters / Arab News

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