Diplomats from Iraq, and some 20 other countries including Egypt are meeting in Paris to make a stabilization plan for Mosul, as the international military operation to free the Iraqi city from Islamic State group intensifies.

The United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are among the countries due to attend the meeting to be co-hosted by Iraq.

French President Francois Hollande is hosting Thursday's talks in Paris, aimed at coming up with a plan to protect civilians, distribute aid and address questions about governing areas newly liberated from IS.

The offensive for Mosul — Iraq's second-largest city and a bastion for IS — is expected to take weeks, if not months, and some fear it could unleash sectarian tensions.