France, UK, US Seek UN-Backed International Force for Gaza Stability

France and Britain, in coordination with the United States, are finalizing a draft UN Security Council resolution that would pave the way for an international force in Gaza, the French government announced on Thursday.

With a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas still holding, discussions have begun on creating a multinational mission to help stabilize security in the war-torn Palestinian enclave, according to two senior U.S. advisers.

Addressing reporters in Paris, French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux emphasized that any such force must operate under a UN mandate to ensure a solid legal basis and encourage wider international participation.

“France is working closely with its partners to establish this mission, which must be formalized through the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution,” he said.

While,

The Palestinian group has said that the return of the remaining dead captives “may take some time”, as some of their bodies are buried in tunnels destroyed or under the rubble of buildings demolished by the Israeli army, reported Al Jazeera, citing a statement.

“The bodies of the Israeli prisoners that the resistance was able to access were handed over immediately,” Hamas said in a statement.

Since the ceasefire agreement came into place last week, nine of the 28 deceased captives have been returned to Israel.

But the Palestinian group said that extracting the remaining bodies requires equipment and devices to remove the rubble, which are currently unavailable due to Israel’s ban on their entry.

“Therefore, any delay in the return of the bodies falls entirely on the Netanyahu government, which is obstructing and preventing the provision of the necessary capabilities,” the group said, reaffirming its commitment to the agreement and its “keenness to implement it”.