TEL AVIV, June 11, 2026 (WAFA) – Israeli authorities on Thursday denied entry to French journalist Alice Froussard, a correspondent for Radio France Internationale, and deported her to Paris, citing her past criticism of Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli authorities claimed that Froussard had previously made “anti-Israel” statements, including referring to the war in Gaza as a “slaughter” and accusing Israel of practicing apartheid. Authorities said these positions justified the decision to bar her entry. The French Embassy in Israel expressed dissatisfaction with the move.
The decision came two days after France announced that it had barred ultranationalist Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country over positions supporting the annexation of the occupied West Bank and the expansion and re-establishment of settlements in the Gaza Strip.
Over recent months, Israel has denied entry to or deported a number of foreign journalists and activists because of their criticism of the war in Gaza or their support for boycott and sanctions campaigns targeting Israel.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned the decision to deport Froussard and prevent her from entering the occupied Palestinian territory while carrying out her journalistic duties, describing the measure as a violation of press freedom and journalists’ right to access information.
In a statement, the syndicate said the move was part of a systematic policy targeting both international and local media, aimed at restricting news coverage and preventing documentation of developments in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.
The syndicate added that the targeting of Froussard could not be separated from a broader pattern of measures affecting Palestinian and international journalists, including restrictions on field reporting, limits on journalists’ movement and actions against media institutions.
It said the decision reflects an escalation in policies affecting media work and formed part of ongoing violations against journalists at a time when international calls are increasing for the protection of journalists and the safeguarding of press freedom.
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