Statement made by Foreign and European Affairs Minister Bernard Kouchner (July 20, 2007)
“I welcome the Israeli authorities’ release this morning of 256 Palestinian prisoners. It is a positive first step. I hope other gestures will follow swiftly and that the 550 or so other prisoners Israel pledged to release in December 2006 will regain their freedom.
“France calls on Israel to rapidly implement the measures that will assist the president of the Palestinian Authority and Salam Fayyad’s government: the immediate full restitution of the customs taxes, opening of the crossing points into Gaza, and lifting of the restrictions on the movement of people in the West Bank.
“Concurrently, France calls on the Palestinians to refrain from resorting to violence and condemns the firing of rockets that are hitting Israeli territory.”