PARIS: France will host an international humanitarian conference for the civilian population in Gaza on Nov. 9 as it looks to coordinate aid for the besieged Palestinian enclave, three diplomatic sources said.
While Paris has offered its support for Israel over a deadly Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, there has been growing concern over civilian casualties that have soared under Israel's retaliatory bombardment that has seen thousands killed, wounded and displaced in Gaza.
President Emmanuel Macron confirmed to reporters in Brittany that the conference would take place.
The conference will be at head of state, government and foreign minister level. Key regional stakeholders such as Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf Arab countries will be invited as well as the main Western and European powers. International institutions and organisations will also be present, the diplomats said.
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The Palestinian Authority would be present, but Israel was not set to be invited, they said.
The conference will aim to mobilise financial resources with several sectors identified for emergency support based on United Nations' assessments of the immediate needs.
Re-establishing the supply of water, fuel and electricity would be one of the topics under discussion, while ensuring accountability processes to ensure aid was not diverted to Hamas.
France is sending two helicopter carriers off the coast of Gaza as it works with Israeli and Egyptian authorities to find a way to provide medical assistance to people affected by the bombings in the besieged area.
The diplomats said there would be a discussion to set up a maritime corridor to use sea lanes to ship humanitarian aid into Gaza, but also to see how ships could be used to help the wounded in Gaza.
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