French foreign minister says Israeli government policies threaten country's own security

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that current Israeli government policies are jeopardizing Israel's own security, according to a report from Anadolu Agency.

Barrot's criticism reportedly touched on several fronts: Israel's approach to a proposed peace plan for Gaza, violence carried out by settlers in the occupied West Bank, and the continued expansion of Israeli settlements there. Settlement expansion in the West Bank is widely regarded as illegal under international law, a position held by France and most of the international community, though Israel disputes this characterization.

France has periodically voiced concern over the trajectory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the humanitarian situation in Gaza following the war that began after the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. French officials have called for a resolution that addresses both Israeli security concerns and Palestinian statehood aspirations.

The remarks add to a broader chorus of European criticism directed at aspects of Israeli policy in the West Bank and Gaza, even as European governments have generally continued to affirm Israel's right to security and to defend itself.

Anadolu Agency's report did not provide additional detail on the specific forum or occasion at which Barrot made the comments.