France sends military and civilian personnel to Israel

In an interview on French TV channel LCI, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced that France had sent military and civilian personnel to Israel to support the Gaza peace plan, Le Monde reported on October 29th.

They will be part of an American-led team alongside other international staff, tasked to implement the ceasefire and work on the post-war plan. While he did not give any more details about their numbers nor activities, a source interviewed by AFP confirmed that the personnel were already in Israel.

Barrot added that his team was working in New York at the UN headquarters to push for an international security force in Gaza. This is part of the detailed peace plan unveiled by Trump’s administration in September: an International Mobilizing Force (IMF) is to be deployed by the US and its partners to ensure long-term security in the region.

The plan also calls for the dismantling of Hamas’s military infrastructure and its removal from power, and it includes provisions for a transitional government to oversee public services and the re-development of Gaza, under the US and allies’ supervision.

The plan for post-war Gaza has received much criticism for bypassing Palestinian leadership, most notably from UN Commissioner Navi Pillay.

What’s more, the ceasefire hasn’t been respected so far, with dozens of Palestinians still being killed in Israeli strikes, and humanitarian aid still being restricted. Medical supplies are particularly lacking, with reports that Israel stops nearly all medical provisions from entering the enclave.

France has maintained an ambiguous position during the conflict, repeatedly condemning Israel’s actions, particularly its military campaign in the West Bank, while allegedly continuing to deliver various military equipment.

Despite several denials that France was still providing weapons to Israel, the French publication Mediapart has uncovered ongoing arms deals amounting to 30 million euros in 2023, and it has condemned France’s lack of transparency on the matter.

Le Monde via AFP, Mediapart, Maghrebi.org