France hopes that the truce in Gaza lasts until the release of “our hostages and all the hostages”, Catherine Colonna declared on Sunday, while Hamas has released 58 people since Friday, including no French. “It would be good, useful and necessary for the truce to be extended for this purpose,” said the Minister of Foreign Affairs on BFMTV, assuring that she had “good hope” that French hostages would be released.
“There are lists which are established during the negotiations through Qatar”, but then it is “Hamas which makes its choices within these lists”, she explained. Eight French people are missing, “part of whom” are being held hostage, according to its diplomacy, without certainty as to the fate of the others.
“France considers that a lasting pause is necessary, a truce which allows a ceasefire to be achieved”, with “the release of hostages” as the key, insisted the minister.