France is expected to decline an invitation to participate in US President Donald Trump’s so-called Board of Peace for the Gaza Strip, according to a presidential spokesman.
“Like many other countries, France has been invited to join the ‘peace council’ and is currently reviewing the proposed legal framework together with its partners,” the spokesman for President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.
“However, France does not intend to accept the offer at this time,” he added.
He said the statutes of the planned board go beyond the scope of the Gaza Strip. They also raise important questions, particularly with regard to respect for the principles and structure of the United Nations, which should not be called into question under any circumstances, the spokesman continued.
“France remains fully committed to a ceasefire in Gaza and a credible political perspective for Palestinians and Israelis. It will also continue to defend effective multilateralism,” he said.
Invitations to the Board of Peace were also received by Russian President Vladimir Putin, his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan, Argentinian President Javier Milei and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The committee is part of the second phase of Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, which envisages a permanent end to the war and the disarmament of Hamas, which the Palestinian militia opposes.
The board is to oversee a new committee of Palestinian experts who manage the day-to-day running of Gaza.
Trump himself chairs the board. According to the White House, the board’s executive committee also includes former British prime minister Tony Blair, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.