04 January,2009 08:43 PM IST | | DPA
The French government late Saturday sharply criticized Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip, saying it "complicated" peace efforts.
"France condemns Israel's ground offensive against Gaza just as it condemns the continued rocket attacks" by Hamas against Israel, the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The ground attack "complicates efforts undertaken by the international community, especially the European Union and France, the members of the (Mideast) Quartet and the countries in the region to end the conflict (and) provide immediate aid to civilians," the statement read.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has recently undertaken several unilateral attempts to bring an end to the Mideast conflict. After meeting Thursday in Paris with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, he is set to travel to the region with stops Monday in Egypt, the West Bank and Israel and Tuesday in Syria and Lebanon.
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