French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot Calls for Foreign Press Access to Gaza Amid Famine Warnings.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has called on Israel to allow foreign press into Gaza, citing concerns over the safety of Palestinian freelance journalists working with AFP. Barrot urged Israel to allow their evacuation with their families, warning that their lives are in danger. He also called for an immediate ceasefire in the besieged territory. AFP management echoed these concerns, stating that their Palestinian freelancers' lives are in danger due to Israel's prohibition on international journalists entering Gaza.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has called on Israel to allow foreign press access to the besieged Palestinian territory of Gaza, citing concerns over the safety of Palestinian freelance journalists working with AFP. Barrot urged Israel to allow their evacuation with their families, warning that their lives are in danger. He also called for an immediate ceasefire in the besieged territory. AFP management echoed these concerns, stating that their Palestinian freelancers' lives are in danger due to Israel's prohibition on international journalists entering Gaza [1].

Barrot made the call after the AFP news agency warned that the lives of Palestinian freelance journalists it was working with in Gaza were in danger and urged Israel to allow them and their families to leave the occupied coastal territory. He spoke after the AFP news agency warned that the lives of Palestinian freelance journalists it was working with in Gaza were in danger and urged Israel to allow them and their families to leave the occupied coastal territory [1].

The French diplomat also called for an "immediate ceasefire" after Israel on Monday expanded military operations to the central city of Deir el-Balah. "There is no longer any justification for the Israeli army's military operations in Gaza," he said. "This is an offensive that will exacerbate an already catastrophic situation and cause new forced displacements of populations, which we condemn in the strongest terms" [1].

The situation in Gaza has been deteriorating rapidly, with warnings of famine mounting after 21 months of war. The Gaza Health Ministry has reported that Israel's deliberate starvation policy has led to the deaths of 86 Palestinians, including 76 children, since October 2023 due to hunger and malnutrition [3].

Meanwhile, the White House has expressed surprise at Israel's recent bombing in Syria and the strike on a Catholic church in Gaza. U.S. President Donald Trump called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address both incidents and urged an end to the violence, ceasefire talks, and the release of all hostages held in Gaza [2].

The evacuation orders come amid ceasefire talks in Qatar between Israel and Hamas, but international mediators have reported no progress. The areas under evacuation order are where international organizations are attempting to distribute aid to civilians. The health ministry has warned that hundreds of people whose bodies have wasted away are at a risk of imminent death due to hunger [4].

The situation in Gaza remains dire, with over 2 million Palestinians facing a humanitarian crisis amid hunger, disease, and starvation. The conflict has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, with more than half of the dead being children and women [4].

References:
[1] https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/frances-top-diplomat-calls-for-foreign-press-access-to-gaza/article69842346.ece
[2] https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rjb9cm2lex
[3] https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/afp-to-evacuate-journalists-at-risk-of-starvation-in-gaza/3638231
[4] https://www.the-express.com/news/world-news/177961/panic-gaza-idf-orders