Israel bans French officials from entry

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has announced his decision to ban Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the French far-left party 'La France Insoumise' (LFI), and Mathilde Panot, the party’s parliamentary chair, from entering Israel. This was reported by the Jerusalem Post and Haaretz. According to the announcement, the decision follows various statements made by the two regarding Israel, which the Foreign Minister described as blood libels. Among other things, it was claimed that Mélenchon called for French naval vessels to escort flotillas to the Gaza Strip. Further details regarding the enforcement and duration of the ban have not yet been released.