Israel/Palestine – Gaza ceasefire talks – Release of hostages

Published on October 14, 2025

Release of hostages (Paris, October 13, 2025)

France is deeply relieved following the release this morning of the 20 living Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip, now finally free after more than two years of a cruel ordeal. Its thoughts and heartfelt sympathy are with their families and close friends, who have gone through unbearable anguish and waiting during that time.

France also pays tribute to the memory of the remaining 28 hostages, who died in captivity and whose bodies are still being held. It calls for their remains to be returned immediately to their families, so that they can grieve in a dignified way.

France commends all those who have worked tirelessly for this outcome, particularly the United States and the regional mediators who made it possible for the agreement to be reached.

President Macron will take part in the peace plan’s signing ceremony in Sharm-el-Sheikh today. This ceremony will provide an opportunity to reiterate the need to achieve lasting peace in Gaza, with a view to recreating a horizon of peace after more than two years of war and suffering with the establishment of a two-state solution, the only solution enabling lasting peace to be guaranteed in the region. France supports the full implementation of this plan and is working towards practical contributions for ensuring regional stability and security./.

Conversation between M. Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and Mr Marco Rubio, United States Secretary of State (Paris, Ocotober 10, 2025)

M. Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, spoke to his American counterpart, Mr Marco Rubio, on the telephone today.

M. Barrot gave his counterpart an account of the ministerial meeting on the implementation of the American peace plan to end the war in Gaza, which he hosted at the Quai d’Orsay the day before. The Minister voiced the European and Arab participants’ unanimous support for the plan. He reaffirmed the participants’ desire to contribute to the implementation of the plan and set out the practical details of this commitment in three parts: governance, reconstruction and security.

The US Secretary of State greeted these developments positively and called for continued coordination between all the parties./.

Conclusion of the first phase of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza (October 9, 2025)

France welcomes the conclusion of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. The agreement should allow for the immediate release of all the hostages, access for humanitarian aid on a massive scale and the end of military operations, thus relieving the suffering of Gaza’s civilians and of hostages’ families who have been waiting for the return of their loved ones for more than two years.

France expresses its gratitude to the United States of America, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey for their key mediation role; their efforts made it possible to achieve this agreement.

France now calls on the parties to fully implement the commitments they made, in good faith and within the allotted period, and refrain from any action likely to jeopardize their implementation.

The agreement is an essential first step. Efforts must now focus on turning this ceasefire into a lasting peace, through the deployment of an international stabilization force mandated by the United Nations Security Council, the disarmament of Hamas, the return to the enclave of a reformed Palestinian Authority, and the restoration of a credible political horizon for the establishment of a Palestinian State, in accordance with the principles of the New York Declaration.

Alongside its European and international partners, France will continue to work actively to put a definitive end to the war in Gaza. This is the purpose of the ministerial meeting held in Paris today with our main partners, opened by President Macron and led by the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs. It will work to gather concrete contributions to ensure that the second phase of President Trump’s plan is implemented, specifying the details of a collective commitment based on the main parameters for the “day after” (security, governance, reconstruction)./.

Hamas response to the peace plan proposed by President Donald J. Trump (Paris, October 4, 2025)

Hamas’ response to the peace plan proposed by President Trump is a significant step towards ending the war in Gaza and ensuring the immediate release of all hostages.

France calls upon all parties to implement, without delay, each and every point of the plan, the principles of which are in line with the New York Declaration.

France welcomes the Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators’ efforts, as well as President Trump’s commitment, to achieving peace.

France stands ready to continue working with the United States of America, the Israeli Government, the Palestinian Authority and all regional and international partners to help end the crisis in Gaza and rebuild momentum toward lasting peace in the Middle East, on the basis of this plan and the New York Declaration./.

Peace plan proposed by President D. J. Trump (Paris, September 29, 2025)

France welcomes the plan proposed by President Trump to end the war in Gaza, after intense diplomatic efforts that it conducted with Saudi Arabia during the United Nations General Assembly.

France welcomes the principles put forward by the plan, in line with the New York Declaration adopted on 12 September on France and Saudi Arabia’s initiative, and to which the American proposal refers:

• A permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all the hostages and a massive entry of humanitarian aid under UN supervision;
• The rejection of any annexation and any forced population displacement;
• The disarmament and exclusion of Hamas;
• The establishment of a governance allowing Gaza’s reconstruction, the re-establishment of the Palestinian Authority in the enclave, and an international stabilization mission guaranteeing the security of both Israelis and Palestinians – of which France chaired a prefiguration meeting in New York;
• The relaunch of a political process aimed at establishing a Palestinian State living in peace and security alongside Israel.

France calls on the parties to the conflict in Gaza to take up this plan immediately to end the war and open up once again a horizon of peace and collective security which guarantees the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, the Israeli people’s right to security, and stability and regional integration. It is a decisive moment to enable Israel to regain the support of its partners, including France, to restore with them the strong relations to which we aspire, and to allow the Palestinian people to emerge from despair and violence in order to secure a future free from terrorism, ensuring their legitimate aspirations./.