France and Saudi Arabia hope to use this year’s United Nations General Assembly and the increasingly horrific war in the Gaza Strip to inject new urgency into the quest for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

France and Saudi Arabia will convene dozens of world leaders on Monday to rally support for a two-state solution, with several of them expected to formally recognise a Palestinian state - a move that could draw harsh Israeli and U.

It further clarified its stance on the Middle East crisis, citing Israel’s security and the release of hostages as key priorities

With the backing of the United States, a defiant Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a response to a number of countries recognizing a Palestinian state.

Buildings that were destroyed during the Israeli ground and air operations are engulfed by smoke following an Israeli military strike in the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Saturday,