WILL IT WORK?
France, Britain and Canada were among 25 countries on Monday to call for an end to the war in Gaza, saying the scale of civilian suffering had “reached new depths.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under pressure from within the Labour Party to act. “He wants to move in concert with other countries and use recognition as a card in negotiations on a ceasefire in Gaza,” said Mujtaba Rahman of the Eurasia Group.
However, Starmer may hesitate to provoke Washington as President Donald Trump arrives in Scotland on Friday, with US-UK trade talks still pending.
WHY TEAM UP WITH RIYADH?
While France has little direct leverage over the conflict, it hopes to play a central role in post-war diplomacy alongside Saudi Arabia.
Paris and Riyadh are developing a roadmap that includes isolating and disarming Hamas, holding Palestinian elections in 2026, and forming a technocratic government, according to Camille Lons of the European Council on Foreign Relations.
There may also be proposals for a UN peacekeeping force that could involve Egyptian personnel. The goal, Lons said, is to build regional support for sidelining Hamas – even from countries like Qatar, which has close ties to the group.
IS IT REALISTIC?
Still, some analysts warn that the initiative is aspirational. “This is all quite detached from reality,” said Lons.
Férey added that Israel’s current government appears wholly opposed to the idea of Palestinian statehood.
After nearly two years of war following the October 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel, Gaza has been devastated by Israeli bombardment. Meanwhile, the Israeli government continues to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank, which remains central to any future Palestinian state.
Roughly 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements considered illegal under international law. Three million Palestinians also reside there. In annexed East Jerusalem, an additional 200,000 Jewish residents complicate the possibility of partition.
Khalfa noted that Saudi Arabia is unlikely to normalise ties with Israel as long as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accused by critics of prolonging the war to stay in power, remains in office.
