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France summons Israeli ambassador over raid on Gaza

PARIS, Nov 16 (KUNA) -- France on Wednesday said it had summoned earlier in the day the Israeli Ambassador to hear a protest over a an air raid November 14 on Gaza in which a French diplomat and family were injured.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero indicated that Ambassador Yosi Gall was told that France "deplored the consequences of the raid" which French Consular Representative in Gaza, Majdi Shakura, his wife and their and their 13-year-old daughter were all "slightly wounded" by missile fragments after Israel attacked a target about 200 metres from their residence.
Valero said that a protest was also delivered to the Israeli government in Tel Aviv via the French embassy there.
Shakura is a long-serving French diplomat and has been in the Foreign Service since 1996.
Diplomats here said earlier that no prior warning of the Israeli raid was given to the French mission or foreign diplomats in Gaza. The French spokesman said that the Israeli envoy to Paris had been told to come to the Foreign Ministry and was told that France recognized Israel's need for security "but it was important to avoid any harm to civilians and the French presence in Gaza. (end) jk.rk KUNA 161714 Nov 11NNNN