France to keep fighting for release of French-Israeli hostages, says foreign minister

FILE PHOTO: Annual conference of French ambassadors in Paris

FILE PHOTO: France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot delivers a speech during the annual conference of French ambassadors at the International Conference Centre of the French Foreign Affairs ministry in Paris, France on January 6, 2025. LUDOVIC MARIN/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Source: Pool

France will keep fighting to obtain the release of the two French-Israeli nationals held by Hamas, foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot told BFM TV on Monday.

"We will continue to fight until the last hour for their release," Barrot told BFM TV, adding France had "no news on their health status nor on the terms of their detention".

Hamas released three Israeli hostages and Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday, on the first day of a ceasefire suspending a 15-month-old war that has devastated the Gaza Strip and inflamed the Middle East.

French-Israeli nationals Ofer Kalderon and Ohad Yahalomi are expected to be on the list of 33 hostages to be released in the first phase of the draft Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters