The French Foreign Ministry on Oct. 5 reiterated its former statements, saying it is closely following the situation of French Palestinian Salah Hamouri who has been detained in Israel since March and on a hunger strike for two weeks now. The ministry called upon Israel to release Hamouri and enable his wife, Elsa Lefort, banned from entering Israel and the West Bank since 2016, to be united with her husband.

The ministry had stated on Sept. 5 that "the situation of Mr. Salah Hamouri is and will continue to be followed closely. The President of the Republic addressed the situation of Mr. Hamouri during his call with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Aug. 22. We have approached Israeli authorities several times in recent months, in Paris addressing the Israeli ambassador and in Israel addressing the Israeli Foreign Ministry, the prime minister's office and the Israeli presidency, requesting that all of Mr. Hamouri's rights be respected and that he be able to benefit from all means of appeal."

In its Oct. 5 communique, the French ministry entered into more details, stating that both French consuls — the one in Tel Aviv and the one in Jerusalem — had visited Hamouri in jail. It said five such visits have already taken place. It also said that family members of Hamouri have been received many times at the Foreign Ministry in Paris to discuss the situation, with the last such meeting taking place on Oct. 3.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment or confirm that French President Emmanuel Macron raised in person the issue with Israel's Prime Minister Yair Lapid last August, saying only the issue has come up on a number of occasions in discussions between Israeli and French authorities.