Israel-Hamas war: France excoriates Israeli bombing in Gaza
France, on Sunday, excoriated Israel for the bombing of a residential building in Gaza's Rafah, which resulted in the deaths of a French staff member and 10 other civilians. In a statement, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has urged the Benjamin Netanyahu administration to quickly clarify the details surrounding the bombing. Notably, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna is currently in Israel, advocating for an "immediate and durable" ceasefire as the war in Gaza continues to exacerbate.
Why does this story matter?
A French national succumbed to his injuries late on Saturday. On Wednesday, the house where he was sheltering was stuck by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Apart from the French agent, at least 10 people died in the attack, as per Al Jazeera. Notably, the United Kingdom (UK) and Germany had earlier called for a "sustainable ceasefire" but stopped short of saying it should be immediate. More than 18,700 residents in the Gaza Strip have been killed in Israeli strikes.
Colonna addresses civilian casualties, October 7 Hamas attack
Colonna landed in Israel on Sunday for a two-day visit. In a meeting with her Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, she stressed that "too many civilians are being killed." While she blatantly condemned the October 7 attack by Palestinian terror group Hamas, she underscored Israel's right to self-defense. The French minister plans to meet the families of Israeli captives held in Gaza and discuss an agreement with her Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki in the West Bank during her trip.
France condemns settler violence in West Bank
Before arriving in Israel, Colonna condemned the growing attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. She asserted that "some settlers, driven by their ideological blindness... have committed crimes" against Palestinians and must face punishment. Earlier this month, the French foreign ministry released a statement condemning the attack on Palestinians in West Bank's Qarawat Bani Hassan. The settler attack, which took place in the presence of the Israeli military, resulted in the death of a Palestinian man.
Horrific testimonies of sexual violence by Hamas
Colonna also talked about sexual violence amid the ongoing war and the sexual abuse that Israeli women had to suffer. She said, "Neither silence, nor denial: atrocious sexual violence was perpetrated by the terrorists of October 7. They must be universally recognized, firmly condemned, and their perpetrators severely punished." Standing beside Cohen, she said that she encountered some "chilling testimonies from women involved in this cause."
