BETHLEHEM, West Bank / PNN/

Palestinian refugee camp committees have condemned Israel’s decision to bar entry to a French diplomatic delegation that included members of the French parliament and mayors of cities twinned with Palestinian refugee camps across the West Bank.

The Popular Committees of Palestinian Refugee Camps described the move as a reflection of what they called Israel’s “racist and brutal policies” aimed at isolating the Palestinian people. They further criticised the decision as a breach of international diplomatic norms and protocols.

Saeed Al-Azzeh, head of the Popular Committee for Aida Refugee Camp, told Palestine News Network (PNN) that the delegation had planned to visit Aida and other refugee camps in the southern West Bank. The aim was to strengthen cooperation and twinning relations between refugee camps and French municipalities, several of which had representatives among the visiting delegation.

“These Israeli measures are part of a broader effort to isolate Palestinians from the free peoples of the world who stand in solidarity with our just cause,” said Al-Azzeh. 

The delegation includes long-standing friends of the Palestinian people who have consistently opposed the ongoing war, ethnic cleansing, and attacks on refugee camps in both Gaza and the West Bank, as well as on UNRWA and the right of return.”

Al-Azzeh stressed that Israeli restrictions would not succeed in cutting Palestinians off from the international community. On the contrary, he said, they would strengthen global solidarity and increase Israel’s diplomatic isolation.

The French daily Le Figaro reported that visas for a 27-member French delegation—composed of left-wing lawmakers and elected officials—were cancelled by Israeli authorities just two days before their planned departure for a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, scheduled from April 20 to 24.

The delegation included National Assembly members François Ruffin, Alexis Corbière, and Julie Ozenne (Greens), as well as Communist MP Soumya Bourouaha and Senator Marianne Margaté, alongside several mayors and local council members.

In a joint statement, 17 of the officials decried what they described as “collective punishment,” noting that their visas had already been approved a month in advance. “Two days before our departure, Israeli authorities cancelled the visas they had previously granted,” the statement read. “This appears to be a severe rupture in diplomatic relations with France and an affront to our roles as elected representatives of the Republic. It demands an unequivocal response from our highest national authorities.”

The group warned that “deliberately barring elected officials and parliamentarians from carrying out their responsibilities cannot go unanswered,” and called on President Emmanuel Macron to meet the delegation and intervene with Israeli authorities to reverse the decision.

A press conference is expected to be held in Paris in the coming days.

In response to an AFP inquiry, Israel’s Interior Ministry confirmed that it had cancelled the visas, citing a law that permits the government to deny entry to individuals deemed to be acting against the interests of the state.