France's foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot is due in Israel and the Palestinian Territories seeking to press Israel to engage diplomatically to end the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon after the US presidential election is over.
Barrot will travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories this Wednesday to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and "respect for international humanitarian law".
Speaking on France 2 television, France's chief diplomat declared: "France has a role to play in conveying messages, and that is why I will be going to Israel and the Palestinian territories tomorrow evening to meet the authorities and humanitarian actors, to convey France's voice in this region where the war has already gone on far too long".
"Violations of international humanitarian law are unacceptable and must stop", he stressed, as Israel is accused of numerous human rights violations in its war against Hamas in Gaza.
France - Israel tensions
Israel has also banned the activities of UNRWA – the UN agency for Palestinian refugees – which it accuses of complicity with Hamas, provoking an international outcry.
His visit comes at a time where tensions between Israel and Paris have spiked in recent weeks, following statements by President Emmanuel Macron calling for a halt of arms sales to Gaza and accusing Israel of "sowing barbarity".
However, Barrot insists: "Dialogue has never been broken off".
This will be his second visit to Israel after first travelling to the country to mark the anniversary of 7 October Hamas attacks last month.
US plays 'essential role' for peace
When asked by France 2 whether a win for former President Donald Trump could boost Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Barrot replied: "The United States plays an essential role in ending the Israeli-Arab conflict ... we are alongside the US – notably on Lebanon – to propose peace formulas to ensure a lasting peace in the region."
Paris and Washington pushed for a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in September, but those efforts fell through.
Since then, Washington has done little to raise pressure on Israel to end its operation in Lebanon.
Barrot said Paris would work with whoever won Tuesday's vote.
He pointed to former US Republican President Ronald Reagan's suspension of some weapons deliveries to Israel after its 1982 invasion of Lebanon as an example of how Washington could still do more.
"The war has lasted far too long and the use of force must give way to the use of dialogue and diplomacy," Barrot said.
