Despite IDF resistance, France urges European observers to monitor Gaza

      The French foreign minister said Monday that European military observers should be sent to Gaza to monitor any eventual cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. Bernard Kouchner said on Europe-1 radio that France is pushing for international observers in the region, despite resistance from Egypt and Israel. "There need to be European observers," Kouchner said, adding that the group could be expanded to include monitors from other regions. He said they should include military observers, to testify to the maintained cease-fire. France has played an active diplomatic role in the push for peace in Gaza, including as current president of the UN Security Council and during a trip by President Nicolas Sarkozy and Kouchner to several cities in the Middle East last week. French Defense Minister Herve Morin suggested a European peace-keeping force for Gaza once the violence has settled. "It seems to me it would not be stupid or incoherent for the Europeans to participate in a force that would be tasked with watching over the security of the borders," he said on French radio RFI on Sunday night. He said France should consider participating in such a force if one is formed, but added that for now the conditions have not been met to establish such a force. Kouchner also said France is talking with Iran in a bid to indirectly pressure Hamas into halting its rocket attacks on Israel. "We are talking to everyone," Kouchner said. He said he talked to Iranian officials Sunday about Gaza. "We have intermediaries ... who allow us to talk to Hamas," he said, without elaborating. (23,18)