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France to keep fighting for release of French-Israeli hostages, says foreign minister

1 min

France will keep fighting to obtain the release of the two French-Israeli nationals held by Hamas, foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot told BFM TV on Monday.

France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot, Ludovic Marin/Pool via Reuters

France will keep fighting to obtain the release of the two French-Israeli nationals held by Hamas, foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot told BFM TV on Monday.

"We will continue to fight until the last hour for their release," Barrot told BFM TV, adding France had "no news on their health status nor on the terms of their detention".

Hamas released three Israeli hostages and Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday, on the first day of a ceasefire suspending a 15-month-old war that has devastated the Gaza Strip and inflamed the Middle East.

French-Israeli nationals Ofer Kalderon and Ohad Yahalomi are expected to be on the list of 33 hostages to be released in the first phase of the draft Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal.

Reporting by Dominique Vidalon

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