Israel – Gaza Strip (9 August 2018)
France deplores the escalation of violence between Israel and the Gaza Strip. It condemns the firing of rockets toward Israel and would like restraint to prevail and the ceasefire to be upheld by all parties in order to prevent further civilian casualties.
These incidents underscore the urgent need to work toward finding a lasting political solution for Gaza and to respond effectively to the humanitarian crisis affecting the Palestinian population.
This notably requires the lifting of the blockade, on the one hand - while respecting Israel’s security concerns - and the achievement of inter-Palestinian reconciliation and the full return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza, on the other.
France, in collaboration with its European partners, will remain fully mobilized to support efforts to that end.