Israeli settler leader turned back after arriving in France

The head of a body representing Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law, was turned back after arriving in France, with Israel denouncing the move on Wednesday as "unacceptable".

Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, was forced to leave France after landing at a Paris airport last week, his office said in a statement.

"During passport control, he was pulled aside and questioned" before being informed that he was banned from entering French territory, according to the statement, which did not specify the date or the airport where the events took place.

Reached for comment, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not confirm the deportation, but stressed that "Dagan is subject to an administrative ban from the territory because of his active role in implementing the settlement policy in the West Bank".

"Settlement building is contrary to international law and undermines the two-state solution," it added.

The episode comes amid growing friction between Israel and European countries, particularly around West Bank settlements, which have proliferated under caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's outgoing right-wing government.

The measure against Dagan, based "on clearly political and ideological grounds", is "completely unacceptable", the Israeli foreign ministry said.

"Israel will demand an explanation from the French government and consider its next steps accordingly," it added.

Excluding annexed East Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis currently live in occupied West Bank in settlements, among some three million Palestinians.

Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians has increased significantly in the territory since the start of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023.

More than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since then, most of them by Israeli soldiers, according to an AFP tally based on data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The surge in violence has led several countries, including France, to announce in September their intention to sanction trade with West Bank settlements.

On Monday, a French parliamentary committee adopted a bill aimed at banning the import of products from Israeli settlements and services contributing to settlement construction.