France has strongly condemned the recent incident where Israeli police detained two consulate members at a French-owned holy site in Jerusalem. The French Foreign Ministry expressed outrage after armed Israeli officers entered the Eleona church compound without authorization, leading to the arrest of the consulate staff members who had diplomatic status. The incident occurred as France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot was scheduled to visit the sanctuary within the compound.
Following the intervention of the French minister, the detained employees were released. However, the unauthorized entry and detention of the consulate staff prompted France to summon Israel's ambassador in protest. The Eleona church compound, part of the French national domain in the Holy Land, is one of four French-owned sites in Jerusalem administered by French authorities.
