This assassination comes as French diplomat Catherine Colonna visits Israel to call for a truce and lasting peace.
The French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs has condemned the Israeli bombing of a residential building in Rafah which killed one of its employees in a region previously declared a security zone.
“France condemns this bombing of a residential building which caused the death of many other civilians. We demand that all light be shed as quickly as possible by the Israeli authorities on the circumstances of this attack,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Sunday.
The house was hit Wednesday evening, killing the employee and 10 others who had taken refuge with colleagues and family members in the residential area.
The employee had worked for the French government in Gaza since 2002, and some members of his family had already been evacuated from Gaza, the ministry said, offering its condolences.
The ministry’s statement comes at a time when external pressure on Israel is increasing due to its “indiscriminate” bombing of Gaza. More than 80 percent of the approximately 19,000 Palestinians killed are believed to be civilians.
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on Sunday called for an “immediate and lasting” truce in the war in Gaza, adding that Paris was “deeply concerned” by the situation in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.
“Too many civilians are being killed,” Colonna said during a speech in Tel Aviv with his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen, as Israel continues its offensive after the October 7 attacks that raised tensions in the region.
The foreign minister also condemned the Hamas attack on October 7 and plans to meet the families of Israeli prisoners held in the Gaza Strip.
At least 1,140 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the Hamas attack and 240 were captured. Dozens of them were released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners under a truce deal reached late last month.
Colonna also plans to seek an agreement with his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki in the occupied West Bank during his trip.
Shortly before arriving in Israel, Colonna condemned increasing attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
“Since October 7, unfortunately, some settlers, driven by their ideological blindness… have committed crimes” against Palestinians, she said, adding that “these settlers must be punished.”
More than 290 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since October 7, according to the territory’s health ministry.
