Myanmar Junta Chief Advocates Political Solution with Ethnic Groups

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France has urged the UN Security Council to take more decisive action in addressing the conflict in Gaza. France’s permanent representative to the UN, Nicolas de Riviere, emphasized the need for more than just humanitarian pauses, calling for a truce leading to a ceasefire, full humanitarian access, respect for international humanitarian law, and the release of hostages. While reaffirming France’s recognition of Israel’s right to self-defense, de Riviere also urged the resumption of a political process to address the broader Palestinian issue, emphasizing the importance of addressing Palestinian aspirations for statehood.

The call for action comes as over 700 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict since Israel resumed military operations in Gaza on December 1, following a brief humanitarian pause. Israel’s expansion of operations into southern Gaza has exacerbated the dire humanitarian situation. The UN’s resident and humanitarian coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lynn Hastings, warned of an impending “hellish scenario” in Gaza, where conditions for aid delivery are increasingly challenging.

De Riviere further called for addressing Palestinian aspirations for statehood, emphasizing the necessity of not overlooking this issue. The Security Council has been discussing a draft resolution proposed by the UAE to scale up and monitor humanitarian aid to Gaza, but US Ambassador Robert Wood stated that additional resolutions or statements are not needed at the moment. Wood emphasized the importance of focusing on bringing relief to the people on the ground, improving the situation, and restarting negotiations regarding hostages. He acknowledged Israel’s efforts to protect civilians but urged them to do more in a challenging operation against Hamas.