French cultural center targeted by Israeli strike in Gaza, French foreign ministry says

Israeli forces targeted the French cultural center in Gaza, which has been closed since the outbreak of fighting, the French foreign ministry said in a statement Friday.

The ministry said it was informed by Israeli authorities that the site was the target of the strike. It is the only Western cultural center in Gaza, and is affiliated with the French embassy in Israel.

“We have demanded that the Israeli authorities communicate to us without delay via appropriate channels the tangible elements that motivated this decision,” the ministry said. 

The ministry said none of the institute’s workers or French citizens were inside the center at the time of the strike. French authorities have been working to evacuate the center's Palestinian workers from Gaza.

In a statement to CNN, the Israeli military said that it continues to request all Gaza residents move to safer territory in the south of the strip due to its assault on Hamas in Gaza City and northern Gaza. 

Israel has, however, targeted several locations in the southern part of the coastal enclave.

“Hamas continues to attack Israel across the entire Gaza Strip. Hamas has embedded itself in civilian infrastructure and operates across the entire Gaza Strip. The IDF is determined to end these attacks and as such we will strike Hamas wherever necessary,” the IDF statement military said.