France, Britain refine plans at UN for Gaza force resolution

France and Britain, in coordination with the United States, are working to finalise a U.N. Security Council resolution in the coming days that would lay the foundation for a future international force in Gaza, France said on Thursday.

With a shaky U.S.-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas holding, planning has begun for an international force to stabilize security in the Palestinian enclave, two senior U.S. advisers said on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters in Paris, French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said such a force needed a U.N. mandate to provide a strong foundation in international law and ease the process of getting potential contributions from countries.

"France is working closely with its partners on the establishment of such an international mission, which must be formalised through the adoption of a U.N. Security Council resolution," he said.

"Discussions, notably with the Americans and British, are ongoing to propose this resolution in the coming days."

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is speaking with many countries interested in contributing to the force, a White House official said on Thursday.

"We are also in conversations about a potential U.N. Security Council resolution to support this effort," the White House official said.

Reuters