Israel has refused entry to a French journalist, Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli said on Thursday, accusing the correspondent of supporting Hamas.
The minister wrote on X that the female journalist was on her way back to Paris from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport.
He said the journalist "supports Hamas" and "claims that the October 7 massacre must be viewed 'in context.'"
A spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry expressed disappointment over the move but noted that it was up to the Israeli authorities to decide on the matter.
Israel's Foreign Press Association described the accusations as "outrageous."
The journalist had worked for many years for French radio stations RFI and Radio France in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, it said.
"This is not the first case in which the Israeli government decides that the journalistic coverage is 'one-sided,'" the statement posted on X said.
The group called on the Israeli government to "immediately" reverse the decision and "uphold its stated commitment to press freedom."
Diaspora Minister Chikli wrote that the journalist "has learned that the State of Israel has run out of patience for Hamas supporters and for those who support sanctions and boycotts against it."
"Bon voyage," he ended his post.
French broadcaster RFI expressed outrage over the move, accusing Israel of curbing press freedom.
The journalist had been granted the required press visa and travel permit to work in the West Bank, RFI said, adding that it has not received any explanation for the Israeli authorities’ decision.
