Paris: France has strongly criticized Israel for its actions targeting Palestinian civilians who were attempting to obtain humanitarian aid in Gaza. This targeting has reportedly led to 1,000 fatalities over the past two months, based on data provided by the United Nations.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the French Foreign Ministry released a statement on Wednesday condemning the ongoing famine in Gaza, which it attributed directly to the Israeli blockade. The ministry expressed significant concern about the recent Israeli attacks in the central Gaza Strip, particularly in areas like Deir al-Balah, where evacuation orders have forcibly displaced tens of thousands of civilians. These evacuations have severely disrupted the operations of several UN agencies and international NGOs working in the region.
The European Union has similarly called for an end to the violence against Palestinian civilians at aid distribution sites. EU Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas reportedly communicated with her Israeli counterpart, urging an immediate cessation of civilian casualties at these critical distribution points in Gaza. In a social media post on X, Kallas stated, "The killing of civilians seeking aid in Gaza is indefensible."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also took to X to voice her concerns, emphasizing that "Civilians must never be targeted." She described the images emerging from Gaza as "unbearable" and insisted that "This must stop now. Israel must uphold its obligations under international law."
