Gaza Flotillas

Israel bans French presidential candidate Mélenchon after Paris blocks settler leader

Israel has barred French opposition leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon and party chair Mathilde Panot from entering the country, citing their 'extreme anti-Israel stance' and calls for military escorts for Gaza aid flotillas. The move follows France’s recent denial of entry to a prominent Israeli settler leader, marking a sharp escalation in diplomatic tit-for-tat between Paris and Jerusalem.