On Thursday 7 June, the leaders of Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States called on the parties “without further delay” to implement the comprehensive plan for the Middle East presented by US President Joe Biden.
“The ultimate objective [is] to put an end to this war”, they reiterated in a joint statement, underlining their determination to continue working together to implement the plan. The leaders reiterated their demand that Hamas express its full acceptance of this comprehensive plan, which they said Israel had approved.
The Heads of State or Government also reaffirmed their support for the Palestinian Authority and the Prime Minister’s reform programme, and called for greater regional and international support for this government, in particular through the transfer of its revenues by the Israeli government.
In their view, legitimate Palestinian governance must be re-established in the Gaza Strip, “with adequate international support”, while addressing Israel’s security needs. “To this end, the leaders expressed their determination to contribute to international efforts to support stabilisation in the Gaza Strip, in order to achieve lasting regional security for all, and to ensure that such a crisis can never happen again”, the statement said.
The leaders also expressed their determination to work together to support a de-escalation along the Lebanese-Israeli border, calling on all parties to show the utmost restraint in order to avoid any further regional escalation. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)