France Urges Israel to Allow Independent Press into Gaza Strip
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stressed the need of allowing free press into the besieged Strip to 'show what is happening there and to bear witness,' during an interview from eastern Ukraine.
'Since October 7, Israel has prohibited access to the Gaza Strip for all international journalists,' Barrot said.
He also noted that the Palestinian freelance journalists it was working with were in danger. Thus, he urged Israel to allow them and their families to leave Gaza.
When asked whether France would take a step to evacuate them, Barrot said that France was 'addressing the issue.'
'In this context, the work of our Palestinian freelancers is crucial to inform the world,' it said. But their lives are in danger, which is why we urge the Israeli authorities to allow their immediate evacuation along with their families,' he added.
Call for Immediate Ceasefire
Moreover, Barrot called for an 'immediate ceasefire' after Israel announced on Monday the expansion of its military operations to the central city of Deir El-Balah.
'There is no longer any justification for the Israeli army's military operations in Gaza,' he said.
He also described the move as 'an offensive' that will exacerbate an already catastrophic situation and 'cause new forced displacements of populations.'
Move toward Recognition of Palestinian State
In May, Barrot said that France was 'determined' to recognize a Palestinian State and condemned Israel's 'indefensible' situation in Gaza.
'We cannot leave the children of Gaza a legacy of violence and hatred. So, all this must stop,' Barrot told France Inter radio.
Moreover, French President Emmanuel Macron also accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of committing 'shameful and disgraceful,' actions in Gaza.
In a special television appearance broadcast on the TF1 channel, Macron noted that it is not for Netanyahu to decide whether this constitutes genocide, but rather for historians.
'What Benjamin Netanyahu's government is doing today in Gaza is unacceptable. It is shameful and disgraceful,' Macron said.
During the interview, Macron stated that he was 'one of the few leaders who visited the Egypt-Gaza border.'
He also described the situation as 'one of the most distressing sights I've ever witnessed.'
Since the beginning of Hamas-Israel War in Gaza in 2023, the Israeli strikes have killed more than 57,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 137,000, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
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