A United Nations delegation of 27 French lawmakers and officials had their entry visas cancelled by Israel. This happened two days before they were due to arrive in Israel and the occupied West Bank. The delegation, which included members from France's Ecologist Party and the French Communist Party, termed the cancellation as a "major breach of diplomatic ties" and urged French President Emmanuel Macron to intervene.

They were to have arrived on Sunday, although notification of the visa cancellation was received by the delegation the previous Thursday. The French consulate in Jerusalem planned the five-day trip with the aim of promoting "international cooperation and a culture of peace" throughout the region.

“The revocation of our permits to enter Israel 48 hours before our departure is a major breach of diplomatic ties with the French state and of our mandates as elected representatives of the republic,” the delegation said in a statement, according to Haaretz.  “It requires an unequivocal stance from the highest authorities of our state,” he added.

The Israeli Interior Ministry said that the purpose of the delegation was to express support for Palestinians and promote an organisation opposing the designation of Hamas as a terrorist group, which in turn had been promoting boycotts of Israel.

Camille Naget, a Paris city councillor and member of the Ecologist Party, denied that any boycott protest was taking place for the project in question, the AJPF (Association for Palestinian-Jewish Friendship). She said that AJPF is working to foster links between French municipalities and Palestinian refugee camps. She denied any links to campaigns for Hamas delisting. 

Both the Ecologist and Communist parties in France have consistently supported officially recognising a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted strongly to President Macron’s recent remarks on the matter, describing the possible recognition as “a huge reward for terrorism.”

Earlier this month, Israel also denied entry to two Members of Parliament from the UK’s Labour Party.