The Foreign Ministers of France and the United Kingdom gave a
statement following their joint ministerial visit to Israel and
the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Statement by the Foreign Ministers of France and the United
Kingdom:
We, the Foreign Ministers of France and the UK, share a common
interest in the security of the State of Israel and the stability
of the region as a whole. We are in Israel and the Occupied
Palestinian Territories on the first joint UK-France ministerial
visit for a decade. As two UNSC permanent members, we have a
specific responsibility to support ending the current escalation
and securing a lasting peace to the benefit of Israelis,
Palestinians and the whole region.
The risk of wider conflict in the Middle East has never been
higher and we must push for de-escalation now. We have urged Iran
and its proxies to stand down the ongoing threats of military
attack against Israel. We have also stressed to all parties
that the spiral of escalating reprisals must end. We
reiterate the importance of fully implementing UN Security
Resolution 1701 on Lebanon.
We stress our full support for the current efforts to reach a
ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza led by the US,
Egypt and Qatar. There is no further time to lose to seize the
opportunity and secure the release of the hostages. We strongly
urge all parties to live up to their responsibilities. In
addition, unfettered delivery and distribution of humanitarian
aid is urgently needed, and civilians must be protected.
We reiterate that only a two-state solution, within the framework
of international law, can bring a just and lasting peace to both
Israelis and Palestinians. We strongly condemn settler violence
in the West Bank which threatens both Israeli and Palestinian
security and could put at risk ongoing diplomatic efforts. We
remain committed to supporting cooperation and normalization in
the region. All actors in the region must make concrete gestures
if they genuinely want to avoid war. We stand ready to engage
with them to that end.
This joint visit is a symbol of the UK and France's shared
purpose in the region and wider world.
