Ministry of Foreign Affairs Condemns Deportation of French Journalist Alice Froussard, Calls It an Attempt to Suppress the Truth The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has strongly condemned the Israeli authorities’ decision to deny entry to French journalist Alice Froussard, a correspondent for Radio France Internationale (RFI), and to deport her from the occupied Palestinian territory. In a statement, the Ministry said that the move prevented Froussard from carrying out her professional duty of reporting the facts on the ground, as she had done throughout Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip. The Ministry expressed its full solidarity with Froussard and with other journalists and media organizations that have been targeted, describing the decision as a blatant violation of press freedom and an attempt to conceal ongoing crimes. The Ministry stressed that such actions contravene international law and relevant United Nations resolutions protecting freedom of the press and access to information. It also called on the international community, UNESCO, and organizations dedicated to press freedom and the protection of journalists worldwide to take concrete measures to ensure Israel complies with its legal obligations, guarantees journalists’ access to the occupied Palestinian territory, protects media institutions and journalists, and holds those responsible for such violations accountable through sanctions and legal action.

Minister Shahin Holds Phone Call with EU High Representative Kaja Kallas Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Shahin held a telephone conversation on Thursday with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. During the call, Minister Shahin briefed Kallas on the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing Israeli military campaign. She highlighted the continued killing of civilians, restrictions on the movement of individuals through border crossings, and the insufficient entry of humanitarian aid, which has prevented the fulfillment of the population’s most basic needs. Minister Shahin also updated Kallas on the deteriorating situation in the West Bank, citing annexation policies, settlement expansion, settlement construction, and escalating attacks by settlers under the protection of the Israeli army. She further stressed the continued withholding of Palestinian clearance revenues, which undermines the Palestinian government’s ability to carry out its responsibilities and meet the needs of its people. The Minister called on the European Union to take practical and tangible measures to support the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land, including banning products originating from Israeli settlements and ensuring the implementation of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice and the obligations arising from it. She also emphasized the importance of adhering to the New York Declaration in a manner that ensures the realization of the two-state solution. The two sides also discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation at various levels, with the aim of promoting peace and stability in the region.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine strongly condemns the Iranian attacks targeting the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the State of Kuwait through missiles and drones, in a clear violation of their sovereignty, security, and stability. The State of Palestine reaffirms its full solidarity with the three brotherly countries and supports all legitimate measures they take to protect their sovereignty, safeguard their citizens and residents, and preserve regional security and stability.

Arab and Foreign Diplomats Reaffirm Support for Jerusalemites During Visit to Khan Al-Ahmar and Jerusalem Suburbs Government Delegation Visits Abu Dis to Assess Local Needs and Challenges The Palestinian government organized a field visit to the suburbs of Jerusalem Governorate, bringing together Palestinian ministers and dozens of Arab and foreign ambassadors and consuls accredited to the State of Palestine. The visit began in Khan Al-Ahmar, where the delegation met with residents to hear firsthand about their living conditions and convey their voices to the international community amid ongoing Israeli threats of forced displacement. The delegation then continued to Abu Dis, where meetings were held with local government representatives and security officials to discuss the realities facing Jerusalemite communities and the challenges resulting from Israeli occupation policies. The government delegation stressed the importance of strengthening the steadfastness of Jerusalemites and supporting their right to remain on their land in the face of home demolitions, land confiscation, forced displacement, and restrictions affecting all sectors. Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Ashraf Al-Awar, speaking by phone due to movement restrictions imposed on him, affirmed that Jerusalem remains a top government priority and that efforts to support residents and address their needs will continue despite ongoing constraints. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Shahin conveyed the greetings of President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, emphasizing the Palestinian leadership’s appreciation for the resilience of Jerusalem’s residents and their commitment to their land and national identity. During the meetings, local representatives presented key priorities, including infrastructure development, education, essential services, healthcare, water, transportation, traffic management, and support for municipalities. Participants underscored that the visit provided an important platform to communicate residents’ needs directly to the international community and mobilize greater support for their resilience in the face of ongoing occupation measures.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Welcomes New Sanctions by UK, Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, and Norway Against Entities and Individuals Involved in Settler Violence The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has welcomed the decision by the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, and Norway to impose a new package of sanctions on a number of entities and individuals involved in financing, supporting, and carrying out attacks by Israeli settlers against the Palestinian people in the occupied West Bank, particularly amid the alarming escalation of settler violence and organized crimes throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. The Ministry described the sanctions as an important step in the right direction, consistent with the principles, values, and legal obligations that these countries have endorsed through international agreements. It stressed that international law is not merely a political statement but a binding commitment that must be respected and enforced. The sanctions reflect the reality that colonial settlement activity in all its forms is illegal under international law and constitutes a direct threat to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, as well as to regional peace and stability. The Ministry further emphasized that the daily attacks faced by Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, targeting lives, property, land, and holy sites, are part of an official Israeli policy based on settlement expansion, forced displacement, and the appropriation of Palestinian land. The Ministry also welcomed international positions reaffirming the illegality of Israeli settlements and warnings issued to companies, institutions, and individuals against engaging in economic or financial activities with or within settlements established in the occupied Palestinian territory. It called on the international community to build on these measures by imposing further deterrent sanctions on the settlement enterprise as a whole, reaffirming the responsibility of the Israeli government for settler crimes, preventing trade in products originating from illegal settlements in global markets, implementing the principle of universal jurisdiction, and taking practical steps to protect the Palestinian people and ensure the implementation of international law, relevant UN resolutions, and the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, with the aim of ending the occupation and realizing an independent State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Israeli Knesset’s Approval of a New Law to Deduct Palestinian Clearance Revenues Is a Colonial Measure of Financial Piracy and Organized Robbery Targeting Palestinian Rights The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates strongly condemns the approval by the Israeli Knesset, in its second and third readings, of a new law expanding the organized robbery of Palestinian clearance revenues. The Ministry rejects this measure in its entirety and considers it a colonial action that falls within a systematic policy of financial piracy and the continued robbery of Palestinian funds. It constitutes a blatant violation of signed agreements and international law, and a dangerous escalation in Israel’s ongoing war against the Palestinian people, their national rights, and their legitimate institutions. The Ministry stresses that the continued withholding of Palestinian clearance revenues and the unlawful deductions imposed on them undermine prospects for stability and threaten the economic, financial, and humanitarian conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. These measures are part of Israel’s ongoing efforts to weaken the resilience of the Palestinian people, target their national institutions, and undermine their existence and role. The Ministry calls on international community, the United Nations, international justice institutions, and all states to assume their legal and moral responsibilities and take effective action to stop these violations. It urges immediate measures to compel Israel, the occupying Power, to release all withheld Palestinian funds, end its policy of financial piracy and unlawful deductions, and hold Israeli officials, including members of the Knesset, accountable for measures that amount to collective punishment and the systematic robbery of the Palestinian people’s financial rights and resources.