Quai d’Orsay (French Foreign Ministry) Chief Catherine Colonna urged an “immediate and durable truce” on Sunday on the Israel-Hamas conflict, expressing grave concern over the situation in Gaza following the death of one of its agents after an Israeli bombardment in Rafah last Wednesday, reports le monde.
The deceased died “as a result of his injuries,” but his identity and nationality were not verified by the French Ministry.
The agent, who had been working for France since 2022, had taken refuge in the house of one of his colleagues at the French Consulate General, along with two other colleagues and members of their families.
The house was rocked by an Israeli bombardment on Wednesday evening, killing around ten people.
The French ministry called for a clarification of the circumstances of this bombardment as quickly as possible.
On Sunday, Foreign Minister Colonna landed in Tel Aviv for a meeting with her Israeli peer, Eli Cohen.
Colonna stated that there have been far too many civilian deaths.
Before her visit, the French Foreign Ministry claimed she would advocate for a truce that would “lead to a lasting ceasefire with the goal of releasing all hostages and delivering aid to Gaza.”
During her conversation with Cohen, the French official stated that the victims of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel should not be forgotten.
Cohen reiterated the Israeli government’s position that no ceasefire will be declared.
However, he stated that France could play a vital role in preventing regional tensions from escalating.
He went on to say that while Israel “has no intention of starting another front” on its northern border with Lebanon, it will do “whatever it takes” to safeguard Israeli people.
Israel has killed at least 18,800 people, mostly women and children, according to the local authorities.