Israel pushing France to rethink UN ceasefire resolution

Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter

Foreign Minister Israel Katz’s office says Jerusalem is asking France to shelve a UN Security Council draft resolution calling for a ceasefire that is currently being circulated.

A source in Katz’s office tells The Times of Israel that the foreign minister told his French counterpart Stéphane Séjourné yesterday that the draft would reward terror and put a hostage deal at risk.

France has agreed to discuss the draft with Israel over the next two weeks, the source says.

Katz also spoke with the US about the resolution, and asked them to veto it if the language doesn’t change, according to the official.

The draft resolution, seen by Reuters, calls for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages still held in the Strip.

Formal negotiations on the draft begin on Thursday, a diplomatic official tells The Times of Israel.

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