PARIS: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Tuesday called on Israel to allow foreign press into the besieged Palestinian territory of Gaza, as warnings of famine mount after 21 months of war.
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.
"I ask that the free and independent press be allowed to access Gaza to show what is happening there and to bear witness," Barrot told France Inter radio in an interview from eastern Ukraine.
Asked if France would help AFP stringers leave Gaza, Barrot said France was "addressing the issue" and hoped to be able to evacuate freelancers working with French journalists "in the coming weeks."
On Monday, an association of journalists at AFP called the Societe des Journalistes (Society of Journalists) sounded the alarm, urging "immediate intervention" to help reporters working with the agency in Gaza.
The SDJ cited the example of one such freelancer, a 30-year-old living with his family in Gaza City, who reported on Sunday that his older brother "fell because of hunger."
"We have lost journalists in conflicts, we have had injuries and prisoners in our ranks, but none of us can remember seeing a colleague die of starvation," it said.
AFP management responded in a statement posted on X and Instagram which said that it shared the anguish about the "dire situation" of colleagues in Gaza.
"Since October 7, Israel has prohibited access to the Gaza Strip for all international journalists. In this context, the work of our Palestinian freelancers is crucial to inform the world," it said.
"But their lives are in danger, which is why we urge the Israeli authorities to allow their immediate evacuation along with their families."
AFP evacuated its eight staff members and their families from Gaza between January and April 2024.
Barrot 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."