France’s foreign minister has rejected “any form” of Israeli annexation of Gaza, AFP reports.

Jean-Noel Barrot made the comments in response to Israel’s defence minister saying he had ordered the military to “seize more ground” in Gaza and warning of a partial annexation of the territory should Hamas not release its remaining captives.

“France is opposed to any form of annexation whether it concerns the West Bank or the Gaza Strip,” Barrot said, speaking to reporters in the French city of Dijon. “We have a very clear vision of the future of the region – a solution of two states living side by side in peace.”

Meanwhile, Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations Riyadh Mansour slammed the international community for failing to hold Israel accountable for the resumption of the full-scale war on Gaza and its military invasion of parts of the West Bank. 

"The Israeli plan relies on its assumption that it will not face a decisive international response and clear consequences for its crimes and unlawful actions. So when you reiterate the principles, they take note and they continue with their illegal action," Mansour told a meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York on Friday. 

"Israel's goal has always been maximum Palestinian land with minimum Palestinians," he said. 

"Confronted with this unprecedented Israeli escalation, there must be an unprecedented escalation of international measures and response. If you do not escalate your action - concrete action in upholding international law, defending Security Council resolutions and UN resolutions - Israel is not going to change its behavior," Mansour stressed. 

British MP says Israel broke ceasefire deal

The chair of the UK's Foreign Affairs Select Committee has also rebuked Israel's ambassador and accused the Israeli regime of refusing to honour its initial ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

Labour MP Emily Thornberry said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resumed the war on Gaza because he is "clinging on to power by his fingernails".

Thornberry made the remarks in response to an interview given by Israel's ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, who told Sky News on Thursday that Israel had "no other choice" but to resume its bombardment of Gaza this week.