(Bloomberg) -- France condemned the unauthorized entry of Israeli security agents into a French-owned church site in Jerusalem and their arrest of two consulate staffers.
France plans to summon the Israeli ambassador in Paris in coming days over the incident at the “French national site” Eleona, according to a foreign affairs ministry statement.
After armed Israeli security agents entered Eleona without authorization, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot refused to enter the site and canceled the visit, it said.
“Two staff members of the General Consulate of France in Jerusalem were arrested by Israeli security even though they were agents with diplomatic status,” the statement said. “They were later released after intervention of the Minister.”
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a halt in arms shipments to Israel for use in Gaza and a cease-fire, citing the heavy civilian toll in the Palestinian territory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by saying that such call for an arms embargo on Israel was a “disgrace.”
France has also condemned Israeli fire against UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, which include a French contingent.
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