Paris: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Tuesday expressed "regret" over the latest Israeli occupation offensive on central Gaza and called for putting an end to the situation in the strip.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Barrot stated that Israel cannot justify the latest attack on Gaza, affirming that civilians in the enclave have been suffering from inhuman conditions amid a sharp shortage of food for months. He described the situation in Gaza as a scandal that must end immediately, emphasizing Paris' deep concern regarding the fate of the civilians amid ongoing military operations.
Barrot's remarks followed an artillery attack on Deir Al-Balah, during which the occupation army announced the expansion of ground military operations in the region. He also called for journalists to be allowed entry into Gaza to report on the actual conditions and indicated that Paris would work to secure the exit of stringers coordinating with the French media from the enclave.
Conditions in Gaza have drastically deteriorated over the past days, with reports emerging of deaths caused by starvation. The occupation forces have been besieging and bombarding the strip since early October of the previous year.