France reacted to an Israeli strike on a French institute in Gaza with "astonishment" and "incomprehension", Paris's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on Friday, November 3, demanding a full investigation into why the building was hit. Earlier the ministry said no nationals or staff were present when the strike hit the institute, which runs cultural outreach programs.
"We made public today that the French Cultural Institute in Gaza was hit a few days ago in a way that caused astonishment, incomprehension and which led France to call for explanations from the Israeli authorities," Colonna told French media on a visit to Nigeria's capital Abuja. "(We seek) to understand how a French cultural institute can be the target of an Israeli strike. We are therefore in dialogue with our Israeli partners at different levels," she said.
Fighting between Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel was triggered by Hamas's bloody raids on October 7, which Israeli officials say killed more than 1,400 people. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says more than 9,200 people have died in Israeli bombardments, mostly women and children.
Colonna repeated that Israel had the right to protect itself and its population, but also a duty to respect international humanitarian law. "That is, protect civilian populations and take concrete measures to protect civilian populations," she said. That included protecting UN humanitarian staff and media workers, she added.
The French minister said more than 30 nationals and their families had crossed into Egypt from Gaza on Friday through the Rafah border point. "Today, we have 34 French people with their families who were able to pass," she said. She said only some of the 170 people, including staff from the cultural center and their families, had so far managed to get out.
Hundreds of foreigners and dual nationals have fled war-torn Gaza for Egypt as Israeli forces bombarded and fought ground battles in the besieged Palestinian territory. Egypt said it eventually plans to help evacuate 7,000 foreigners through the Rafah crossing.
Le Monde with AFP