France decries Gaza blockade, highlights grave civilian suffering

Paris: France has condemned Israel’s expanding military offensive into central Gaza, warning that the operation is worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis marked by widespread malnutrition and an imminent risk of famine.

“France strongly condemns the extension of the Israeli offensive to the centre of Gaza, where evacuation orders have led to the displacement of tens of thousands of people in Deir el-Balah and are hampering the work of numerous United Nations agencies and international NGOs,” the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

It blamed the crisis on the blockade imposed by Israel and expressed alarm over the scale of civilian suffering.

“France condemns in the strongest possible terms the Israeli shootings targeting Palestinians in Gaza attempting to obtain humanitarian aid, which have killed more than 1,000 people in the past two months, according to the UN,” it said.