PARIS, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), French authorities denied entry to Yossi Dagan, head of the Israeli settlement council in the northern occupied West Bank, and ordered him to leave the country immediately after he arrived at an airport for a planned visit to Paris, according to Israeli media reports.
The reports said Dagan was detained upon arrival and questioned by French immigration officials before being formally informed that he would not be permitted to enter France.
During questioning, French officials presented documents and files concerning his role in establishing and expanding dozens of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, as well as his efforts to promote the reestablishment of Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip.
After being notified of the decision and required to leave France, Dagan traveled to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, to continue his European tour and hold a series of meetings with officials there.
The incident highlights European measures targeting Israeli figures associated with settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Israeli media described the decision as the first time a head of an Israeli settlement regional council had been subjected to such a direct measure by French authorities.
