French journalist denied entry by the Israeli occupation

“Israeli” authorities have deported French journalist Alice Froussard. Although possessing all necessary paperwork, she was stopped at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport, on the evening of 10 June. She was then interrogated several times and detained for almost ten hours. Then she was expelled from the country, and sent back to France the following day.

Deported French journalist said the October 7 massacre must be viewed ‘in context’

Froussard, 33, works for several French media outlets and has covered the occupied West Bank since 2019. She had planned to travel there on assignment for Radio France Internationale (RFI) when she was deported.

No official reason has been given by the authorities for Froussard’s deportation. But the occupation obviously disagrees with her truthful reporting on “Israel’s” genocide in Gaza, and West Bank apartheid.

The occupation’s minister for diaspora affairs, Amichai Chikli claimed he was pleased the journalist had been deported. He described her as a “French journalist who supports Hamas, and who claims that the October 7 massacre must be viewed ‘in context’.”

I am pleased to announce that at this very moment, Alice Froussard, a French journalist who supports Hamas, and who claims that the October 7 massacre must be viewed “in context,” is making her way from Ben Gurion Airport back to Paris.

Like Linda Sarsour before her, she too has…

— עמיחי שיקלי – Amichai Chikli (@AmichaiChikli) June 11, 2026

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) describes Froussard’s detention and deportation as “unjustifiable.” It says it fears an information blackout in the West Bank, similar to that imposed on Gaza since October 2023.

Israeli occupation has no legal right to block entry of anyone intending to visit the occupied territory

But Pascal Confavreux, the French foreign ministry spokesperson said:

We regret this decision, which nevertheless falls under the sovereignty of the Israeli authorities, to whom I refer you.

Confavreux is wrong. In 2024, the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) advisory opinion stated Israel’s presence and control in the occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) is illegal. It must end immediately. International law experts, such as Ralph Wilde, say this means it lacks any right to dictate entry, border access, or block humanitarian aid. According to Wilde, those wishing to enter or operate in Palestine should instead coordinate with representatives of the Palestinian people.

Qalandia Airport, near Jerusalem, was the West Bank’s only airport. It was built by the British in 1920, but was illegally seized by the occupation in the 1967 war. The occupation is now planning to hide its ruins with a massive settlement. More than 9000 housing units are due to be constructed for illegal Jewish colonists.

There is now no way to fly directly into the occupied Palestinian territory. “Israel” controls all borders, or has strict security oversight over all entries. This applies to the border from Jordan, Egypt and “Israel”.

Strict immigration controls and “national security concerns” mean tens of thousands of foreign nationals are denied entry each year, for one reason or another.

Israeli occupation says supporting BDS is a reason for entry to be denied

The Law for Entry into Israel was amended in 2025. It stipulates that foreign nationals will be denied entry if they publicly call for boycotts or deny the Holocaust. Anyone denying the October 7, 2023 “massacres”, or publicly supporting prosecuting “Israeli” soldiers for war crimes in international courts will also be blocked

In June, Palestinian-American activist Linda Sarsour was also banned from entering the country. This was because she supported the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against the Israeli occupation.

Back in 2018, the Israeli occupation blocked the entry of a record 19,000. The number must surely be higher today. The reasons given are varied, but those who are affected include journalists, activists, politicians, and legal experts, and the numbers are increasing.

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In February 2026, 32 peace activists from Eyewitness Palestine were denied entry. And in May, 2026, 40 human rights monitors affiliated with the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor were blocked at the border.

Featured image via Twitter