By Merve Berker
ANKARA (AA) – France “condemned” an attack by Israeli settlers against an elementary school in the occupied West Bank, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
“France strongly condemns the attack perpetrated by Israeli settlers on September 16 against the al-Muarajat school in the West Bank and its teaching staff,” it said in a statement.
“This school, supported by France and its European partners, aims to facilitate access to education for particularly vulnerable populations,” it stated.
Paris “calls on the Israeli authorities to put an end to these actions and to take the necessary measures without delay to protect the Palestinian population in the occupied territories and to ensure respect for their right to education,” it said.
“This attack fuels the climate of instability and the spiral of violence throughout the West Bank, undermining the political prospect of the two-state solution,” it said.
“In this context, France reiterates that colonization, contrary to international law, must cease immediately,” said the statement.
Despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group, Hamas, last Oct. 7.
From nearly one year of Israeli attacks, more than 41,000 victims, mostly women and children, have been killed and over 95,400 injured, according to local health authorities.
The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.
Israel also faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the ICJ.