Few expectations as France seeks tangible results at Gaza conference

PARIS – Some 80 countries and international organisations meet in Paris on Thursday to coordinate aid and assess how to help the wounded in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.

But expectations for concrete results are low without some pause in fighting.

France offered support for Israel after a

deadly Oct 7 attack by Hamas gunmen

.

Yet Israel’s retaliatory bombardment has raised concerns as civilian casualties have soared. More than

10,500 people have been killed

in the coastal enclave.

“It’s not a secret for anybody that access is difficult today in Gaza for basic necessities, medicines, water, etc… So the object is really to work with all the participants and also with Israel… to allow improved access,” a French presidential official told reporters ahead of the conference.

The Palestinian Authority’s Prime Minister will be present, but Israel was not invited.

French officials said Israel was being kept informed of developments.

The conference brings together regional stakeholders such as Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf Arab countries as well as Western powers and Group of 20 members except Russia.

International institutions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Gaza, such as Doctors Without Borders, are also due to attend.

But few heads of state, government or foreign ministers will attend.

NGOs have been critical that there is insufficient pressure at the conference for a ceasefire.

“It will be an exercise in repeating the national positions, saying what each state has given and will give, that civilians have to be protected, and international humanitarian law kept to,” said one European diplomat.

French officials hope it will lay the groundwork for a swift international response when there is an actual pause in the fighting.

There will be some effort to mobilise financial resources, with several sectors identified for emergency support based on United Nations’ assessments of the US$1.1 billion (S$1.5 billion) of immediate needs and the opening of strictly humanitarian crossing points into Gaza.

France is due to announce an increase in its commitments.

Re-establishing the supply of water, fuel and electricity would be under discussion, while ensuring accountability processes to ensure aid was not diverted to Hamas.

There will be a discussion to set up a maritime corridor to use sea lanes to ship humanitarian aid into Gaza and see how ships could be used to help evacuate the wounded.

Talks will also assess the prospect for establishing field hospitals.

Diplomats have said however that Egypt is reluctant to host a multitude of hospitals on its territory. Setting them up in Gaza seems difficult without a humanitarian pause or ceasefire.

Without buy-in from Israel or Hamas for a pause, there is little prospect of things moving quickly.

“We expect that the conference on humanitarian issues in Gaza will certainly raise the issue of the 241 Israeli hostages, who are in Gaza, including babies, children, women and the elderly,” an Israeli official told Reuters.

“This is a first-rate humanitarian issue and the international community has to discuss this topic as part of a humanitarian discussion on Gaza.”

The French presidency official said the issue would be on the table. REUTERS