Barrot warns against worsening 'already catastrophic situation'
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Tuesday said that no justification remains for Israel's military operations in Gaza.
"I want to say that this new ground offensive is deplorable. There is no longer any justification for the Israeli army’s military operations in Gaza," Barrot told the broadcaster France Inter.
He warned against worsening the "already catastrophic situation" that could cause new forced displacements, which they "condemn in the strongest possible terms."
"The humanitarian situation in Gaza, as I’ve had the opportunity to say on several occasions, is disgraceful. It is a scandal that must end immediately," Barrot noted, calling for an immediate ceasefire.
He stressed that limiting access of the press to Gaza is "unacceptable," reassuring that they could take action for French journalists who face the risk of starvation in Gaza.
"I am calling for the free and independent press to be allowed access to Gaza to show what is happening there and to bear witness—particularly concerning French journalists’ collaborators," Barrot added.
He also announced that his teams have started working on a new and "even heavier" package of sanctions against Russia.
"It is the size of our market, our economy—ten times that of Russia’s—that must enable us to use our full weight, in coordination with the United States, where a new sanctions package is also being prepared, to bring about an end to hostilities (in Ukraine)," Barrot added.
