ISTANBUL

France on Thursday called the death penalty “inhumane and degrading” after Israel’s parliament (Knesset) approved a law allowing the death penalty but for Palestinian prisoners only.

Taking a question about the move from Anadolu, French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux told a press briefing: “The death penalty is a sanction that is both inhumane and degrading. France advocates for its universal abolition.”

He said France had already expressed its position in a joint statement with Italy, the UK and Germany, and again after Monday's Knesset vote in a statement backed by all 27 EU member states, voicing “deep concern.”

He added that the law runs counter to democratic principles and international commitments and criticized its “discriminatory nature.”

Israel’s Knesset on Monday passed the law making the death penalty the default punishment for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank convicted of lethal attacks against Israelis.

Confavreux also said G7 and Gulf Cooperation Council countries will hold a meeting next week to discuss the situation in the Strait of Hormuz amid the continuing Mideast war.

On Israel’s Ambassador to Paris Joshua Zarka calling France’s stance not “friendly,” Confavreux said: “Being a friend sometimes requires saying things honestly.”

He acknowledged that disagreements occasionally arise with Israeli authorities, adding: “We believe that many of the current government’s orientations do not contribute to regional peace or stability.”

UN force in Lebanon

He also condemned attacks that led to the deaths of three Indonesian members of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

“We condemn any intimidation against our French contingent,” he said, noting that the matter had been conveyed “very firmly” to Israel’s ambassador during a March 30 meeting at the Foreign Ministry.

On military overflights, he said that requests for foreign military aircraft to transit French airspace are subject to authorization and reviewed on a case-by-case basis, in line with France’s official position.

He reiterated that France is not a party to the war triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran, adding that Paris has not changed its approach to such requests since the beginning of the conflict.

Confavreux also confirmed that France continues to supply Israel with limited quantities of defensive military equipment and spare parts.

Writing by Seyma Erkul Dayanc, Esra Taskin