India, March 20 -- France's foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot has said he does not see an obvious end to the conflict in the Middle East (or West Asia), while stressing that France and its allies would continue to try and find a lasting solution.

"There is no obvious short-term way out of the ongoing regional escalation, which has in some ways been unfolding since October 7, 2023," Barrot told reporters after meeting with Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar in Tel Aviv on Thursday. "But this must in no way serve as a pretext for inaction," he added.

He was referring to the 2023 attack inside Israel by Palestinian group Hamas that killed 1,200 people. Israel's military action over a period of more than two years after that has killed around ...