A solemn call to the Israeli authorities. France requests that “the free and independent press can access Gaza to show” what is happening in the territory in danger of famine after 21 months of war, said French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot on Tuesday.
“We are hopeful of being able to bring out some collaborators of journalists in the coming weeks,” added the minister on France Inter. He was questioned about the case of several AFP employees on the spot who are in “an appalling situation” according to the agency management.
Condemnation of the “deplorable” extension of the Israeli offensive in Gaza
Jean-Noël Barrot Barrot also said that France condemns “with the greatest firmness” the “deplorable” extension of the Israeli offensive in Gaza launched on Monday, “which will aggravate an already catastrophic situation”.
“There is no longer any justification for the military operations of the Israeli army in Gaza. It is an offensive that will worsen an already catastrophic situation that will cause new forced displacements of populations that we condemn with the greatest firmness, “he said.
France calls for the “immediate ceasefire, the release of all the hostages of Hamas, which must now be disarmed, and to access without any hindrance of humanitarian aid in Gaza,” added the minister.
The Israeli army extended its offensive on Monday in a new sector of the Gaza Strip, in Deir Al-Balah, in the center of the Palestinian territory. She intends to act in areas where she had never been in the 21 months of war against Hamas, summarizing the inhabitants to evacuate the premises.