Israeli army says it will ‘review’ details of Gaza attack that led to killing of French Foreign Ministry staffer

By Anadolu staff

The Israeli army said that it will “review” the details of an attack on the Gaza Strip in which a French Foreign Ministry staffer was killed.

“From an initial examination, it can be confirmed that on … December 13th, the IDF struck a number of military targets, including Hamas terrorist operatives and rocket launchers, in the Rafah area in the Gaza Strip,” the Israeli army spokesperson said in response to a written question from Anadolu.

It claimed that all of the strikes were carried out in “accordance with international law.”

“The IDF is aware of the claims of harm caused to a French Foreign Ministry employee,” it said, adding the army has not received sufficient details in order to review the incident.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested further details from French officials regarding the identity of the employee in question. Once additional details are received, the IDF will review the details of the incident,” the army spokesman added.

On Saturday, the French Foreign Ministry condemned the death of the staffer due to injuries he sustained in an Israeli strike on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

It said some staffers "sought refuge in the home of a colleague working in the French Consulate, and the house was subjected to Israeli shelling on Dec. 13."

"France condemns this bombing of a residential building which caused the death of many other civilians," the ministry said, calling on Israeli authorities to clarify the circumstances of the shelling as soon as possible.

In a joint press conference with her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen in Tel Aviv on Sunday evening, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said: “We have asked for a complete spotlight on the circumstances that could explain the targeting of this house, following the explosion that resulted in the death of this staffer.”

Despite the death of the ministry staffer, Colonna reiterated her country's support for “Israel's right to self-defense” and stated in the same press conference: “I am here to affirm France's solidarity with the Israeli people.”

Lior Haiat, the spokesperson of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said the issue had been discussed between Israel and France and that Tel Aviv requested more information about the location and timing of the bombing to conduct an investigation.