\n\t\t\t\t\tKeir Starmer’s spokesman also hinted that there could be fresh sanctions or arms embargoes against Israel\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n
Britain and France are working out plans for a UN peacekeeping force to provide security to Gaza once Israel withdraws their forces.<\/p>\n
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to ramp up Israel\u2019s military assault on Gaza to take full control of the territory<\/a>, Downing Street said that the UK was working with allies across Europe and the Middle East to put a \u201cplan in place for what comes next\u201d.<\/p>\n On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron <\/a>said that Gaza needed an international force to \u201cstabilise\u201d the territory.<\/p>\n He told French broadcast media: \u201cNo to an Israeli military operation. Yes to an international coalition under a UN mandate to fight terrorism, stabilise Gaza and support its populations, and establish a governance of peace and stability.\u201d<\/p>\n The French President called on the UN Security Council to \u201cwork to establish this mission and give it a mandate\u201d, adding that he had \u201casked my teams to work on it without delay with our partners\u201d.<\/p>\n London and Paris want an international peacekeeping force to be deployed once Israel eventually withdraws their forces, though it is unclear whether either country would contribute troops to the coalition.<\/p>\n Macron\u2019s words align with a communique which was co-signed by Britain and a range of other countries across Europe, the Middle East, and the rest of the world at a special UN conference last month organised by France and Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n The document said that the nations \u201csupported the deployment of a temporary international stabilisation mission\u201d under \u201cthe aegis of the United Nations\u201d, noting \u201cthe readiness expressed by some member states to contribute in troops\u201d.<\/p>\n \u2018Plan for what comes next\u2019<\/p>\n It added: \u201cThis mission, which could evolve depending on the needs, would provide protection to the Palestinian civilian population, support transfer of internal security responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, provide capacity building support for the Palestinian State and its security forces, and security guarantees for Palestine and Israel, include monitoring of the ceasefire and of a future peace agreement, in full respect of their sovereignty.\u201d<\/p>\n On Monday, the Prime Minister\u2019s official spokesman said that while the UK was pushing for an \u201cimmediate ceasefire\u201d to end the \u201cterrible conflict\u201d in Gaza, \u201cthere must be a plan in place for what comes next\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been working with our closest European allies to reach an agreement with critical issues that involve governance, security, humanitarian access, ceasefire monitoring and engagement with allies on the peace plan continues.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that Keir Starmer had been \u201cdiscussing the peace plan with leaders across Europe and in the region over the last two weeks\u201d and would \u201ccontinue to work with allies on this plan\u201d.<\/p>\n Starmer hints at fresh sanctions<\/p>\n The Prime Minister\u2019s spokesman also hinted that there could be fresh sanctions or arms embargoes against Israel.<\/p>\n Put to him that Israel was not listening to the international community\u2019s condemnation of the plan to take over Gaza and asked what the UK could do next, he said: \u201cYou\u2019ve seen the previous action that we\u2019ve taken in this space, including sanctions and export license suspensions, and I wouldn\u2019t get into speculation but we keep these measures under review.\u201d<\/p>\n