Bayrou accuses French members of Madleen boat of seeking political attention

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou accused French citizens who sailed on a Gaza-bound aid boat of capitalising on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for political attention, reported AFP on Wednesday.

The crew members, who hoped to raise awareness about the humanitarian situation in war-torn Gaza, included Rima Hassan, a member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent.

She is among four French citizens still detained in Israel, after Israeli forces intercepted the Madleen boat and detained its 12 crew members in international waters off the Palestinian territory on Monday.

Another four, who are not French, were also taken into custody. The remaining four, including two French citizens and Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg, agreed to be deported immediately after being banned from Israel for 100 years.

Mathilde Panot, the leader of the La France Insoumise party, accused the prime minister of failing to condemn Israel's actions. "These activists obtained the effect they wanted, but it's a form of instrumentalisation to which we should not lend ourselves," Bayrou responded in the National Assembly.

It's "through diplomatic action, and efforts to bring together several states to pressure the Israeli government, that we can obtain the only possible solution", he added.

France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting a United Nations meeting later this month in New York on steps towards recognising a Palestinian state and reaching a two-state solution to the conflict.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told parliament the priority in Gaza should be "an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages held by Hamas, as well as immediate, unimpeded and massive humanitarian aid access to abridge the suffering of civilian populations".

"In no way whatsoever do the gesticulations of Rima Hassan, her instrumentalisation of the suffering of Gazans, help to achieve these goals," he added.

He said the French consul had visited all four French activists in Israeli detention.

The Israeli ambassador in Paris said earlier that the Israeli authorities aimed to put them onto a plane back home "as soon as possible".

Israel is facing mounting pressure to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza after it implemented a total blockade of food, clean water, fuel, and medicine at the beginning of March.

The United Nations has warned that the entire population is at risk of famine.