France says working to get AFP journalists out of Gaza
France says it is concerned about the heavy toll among journalists covering the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and is pushing to get Agence France Presse reporters out of the Gaza Strip.
“We are keeping up our efforts regarding AFP employees,” says Christophe Lemoine, deputy spokesman for Paris’ foreign ministry.
It is “a complex operation,” he adds.
“Since October, we have been working to allow French citizens on the ground to leave Gaza, as well as their dependents,” Lemoine adds.
The comments came after a group of journalists, among them AFP staff, published an op-ed in the French daily Le Monde asking French President Emmanuel Macron to help secure the evacuation of Palestinian journalists working with French media.
Gaza’s Rafah crossing into Egypt has been shut since the start of the war that began after Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel, when terrorists killed 1,200 people and took some 240 hostages. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and launched an extensive ground and air operation to rout out the terror group.
While the border crossing has intermittently opened in recent weeks, only people whose names were on approved lists have been allowed out.
“Since the start of the war, foreign nationals have been able to leave Gaza, but the Rafah crossing is closed to Palestinian journalists working for French media on the ground,” the op-ed read.
“The Americans have done it… France can do it too. France must do it. It is our collective responsibility,” it added, calling on Macron to work with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to help get the journalists out.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.