France censures Israeli strikes on residential building, hospitals

France on Wednesday strongly condemned the Israeli strike on a building in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza on Oct. 29, which killed nearly 100 people, including women and children, reported Xinhua.

"France also condemns the recent Israeli strikes on hospitals in the north of the enclave, which are under evacuation orders and sheltering patients in critical condition," the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs said in a press release.

Stressing that the siege imposed on northern Gaza must be lifted without delay, the ministry called for the reopening of all crossing points and for the safe, massive, and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid.

On Tuesday, France had already expressed deep regret over the Israeli Parliament's adoption of two laws that would ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating in Israel.

"The implementation of these laws would have severe consequences for the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories, depriving hundreds of thousands of civilians of essential aid, including shelter, healthcare, education, and food," the ministry said.

France also reaffirmed its support for UNRWA and all UN agencies working on the ground to help the Palestinian population.

Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas attack across the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed, and around 250 others taken hostage.

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza has risen to 43,061, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Tuesday.