Destroyed buildings in the Gaza Strip are pictured at sunset from a position across the border in southern Israel. AFP
A conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, was planned for June to revive a diplomatic path for the Israeli and Palestinian states to live side-by-side in peace. It was postponed at the last minute because Israel attacked Iran.
Last week, diplomatic sources said the conference had been rescheduled for July 28-29, but did not say who would attend.
The French source said this month's meeting would be at the ministerial level. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot would attend, his office said.
It would seek to "advance the recognition of a Palestinian state for a certain number of states who have not yet recognised it, including France," the source said.
But it would also work "on normalisation and Israel's regional integration with Arab and Muslim countries."
Heads of state and government would meet in either Paris or New York, before the UN General Assembly, which will be attended by world leaders on September 22, the source added.
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron called for joint recognition of a Palestinian state by France and Britain.
Before the June conference was postponed, Barrot said France would not recognise a Palestinian state alone, in a possible reference to France's desire to see any recognition matched by Gulf Arab allies -- notably regional kingpin Saudi Arabia -- recognising Israel.
US President Donald Trump, during his first term, promoted the "Abraham Accords", in which the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco became the first Arab countries in decades to normalise relations with Israel.
Israel considers Saudi Arabia to be a diplomatic triumph because of the kingdom's role as the guardian of Islam's two holiest shrines and its influence within the Arab and Islamic world.
Saudi Arabia has made clear that it cannot normalise with Israel until the Gaza war ends and progress is made toward a two-state solution with the Palestinians.
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