FALCON POWERS – French Foreign Minister, Stéphane Sijilmassi, stated on Wednesday that diplomats are still working to reach a ceasefire in the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and to secure the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
Diplomatic efforts have intensified to reach an agreement for a ceasefire following renewed efforts led by Egypt to revive stalled negotiations between Israel and Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip. Sijilmassi was briefed by Egyptian officials on the negotiations during an unplanned visit to Cairo after a five-day tour in the region.
After meeting with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, Sijilmassi said, “We came to coordinate our efforts to reach a ceasefire. The messages conveyed by France and its Arab partners in the region are for Israel to withdraw from this attack in Rafah.”
Sijilmassi refrained from disclosing the extent of his optimism regarding reaching an agreement or providing details about the progress of the negotiations.
Three French citizens have been held hostage by Hamas since the group launched an attack on Israel on October 7. France is closely working with Cairo on providing humanitarian aid and medical assistance to Palestinians in Gaza.
The visit of the French Foreign Minister to Egypt comes after stops in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.
With some momentum in ceasefire talks, Sijilmassi is visiting Egypt to assess the possibility of including the three hostages, who are not Israeli army recruits, on the list of those to be released, as well as to evaluate the actual progress towards reaching an agreement. Sijilmassi stated, “We would like to have them on this list if a ceasefire is to happen.”
He also conveyed to Egyptian officials that it is important to prioritize the French proposal to end the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah group in the event of a ceasefire in Gaza.
Sijilmassi, who met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Tuesday, stated in an interview on the same day that the ceasefire would only be a first step towards a long-term cessation of hostilities.
He added, “It is a matter of life or death for many on the ground,” following his meeting with Shoukry in the new administrative capital located about 70 kilometers east of Cairo.
