French FM Barrot slams inhumane Israeli offensive, urges media access to Gaza

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Tuesday issued a sharp condemnation of Israel's expanding military operations in the Gaza Strip.

"The humanitarian situation in Gaza is disgraceful; it is a scandal that must be ended immediately," Barrot told France Inter radio.

The top diplomat spoke after Israel began a ground operation targeting Deir al-Balah, the main hub for humanitarian efforts in the besieged coastal territory.

There is "no longer any justification for the Israeli army's inhumane military operations in Gaza. It is an offensive that will exacerbate an already catastrophic situation and lead to further forced displacement, which we condemn in the strongest terms," he said.

Barrot also called for media access to the territory: "I demand that the free and independent press be given access to Gaza to show what is happening there and to report on it."

Foreign journalists have been largely barred from entering Gaza since the war began in Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Local Palestinian reporters remain the main source of on-the-ground reporting.