French diplomat visits Israel

The French Foreign Minister, Catherine Colonna, arrived in Israel on Sunday, where she is set to call for an "immediate and lasting" ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Ms. Colonna is scheduled to meet her Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, in Tel Aviv.

In addition to official meetings, Ms. Colonna is expected to meet with families of French hostages and call for "a new immediate and lasting humanitarian ceasefire," ultimately leading to a permanent ceasefire, to secure the release of all hostages and provide humanitarian aid to the Gaza population, according to a statement from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The minister will then visit the West Bank for talks with her Palestinian Authority counterpart, Riyad al-Maliki.

The minister will be received by military personnel identifying bodies and forensic doctors responsible for collecting evidence of violence or sexual abuse that may have been committed by Hamas attackers.

She will also meet with representatives of associations defending female victims who collect evidence and seek recognition of these acts of violence.