Under the directive of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, French deputy ambassador to Israel Mikaël Griffon was summoned from the French embassy this evening (Sunday) for a reprimand meeting with Foreign Ministry Director-General Eden Bar-Tal.
During the meeting, Bar-Tal stated: "France has chosen to harm Israel in its most difficult hour, directly undermining the negotiations for the return of the hostages and for a ceasefire, and harming any future negotiations."
"France’s statements determining what is right for Israel’s security instead of the elected government of Israel are baseless pretensions that infringe upon Israel’s sovereignty. The conditions set by the French President for recognizing a Palestinian state have evaporated within weeks, and relying on Mahmoud Abbas’s letter is sheer hypocrisy," Bar-Tal said.
Meanwhile, the French have not apologized and continue to criticize Israel and its actions. This evening, the French Foreign Minister claimed that the international aid fund operating in Gaza to distribute humanitarian aid should cease its operations, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
"We expect the Israeli government to stop the operations of the GHF. It has led to a bloodbath in the aid distribution lines," the minister stated.