French worker killed in Gaza bombing, Israel slammed

The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has strongly criticised the Israeli bombing of a residential building in Rafah, denouncing the attack that resulted in the death of one of its staff members in an area previously identified as a safe zone.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Foreign Ministry of France expressed its condemnation of the bombing, emphasising the loss of civilian lives. The ministry called on Israeli authorities to promptly clarify the circumstances surrounding the bombing.

The targeted residential building was struck on Wednesday evening, leading to the tragic death of the French employee and 10 other individuals who sought refuge there with colleagues and family members. The deceased staff member had been actively working with the French government in Gaza since 2002, and some of his family members had already been evacuated from the region.

The condemnation from France comes at a time when external pressure on Israel is mounting, particularly concerning its "indiscriminate" bombing campaigns in Gaza. Reports indicate that more than 80 per cent of the nearly 19,000 Palestinians killed in the conflict are civilians.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, in a press conference on Sunday, urged for an "immediate and durable" truce in the Gaza war, expressing deep concern over the dire situation in the war-torn Palestinian territory.

Colonna, during her visit to Tel Aviv, voiced her condemnation of the October 7 attack by Hamas and announced plans to meet with the families of Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip.

The October 7 attack by Hamas resulted in the death of at least 1,140 people, mostly civilians, and the captivity of 240 individuals. Some were subsequently released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners as part of a truce deal reached last month.

Colonna is also set to engage in discussions with her Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki in the occupied West Bank during her trip. Before she arrived in Israel, she denounced the escalating attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, emphasising the need for accountability for crimes committed by these settlers.

Since October 7, over 290 Palestinians have reportedly been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank, according to the territory's Ministry of Health.