France deplores wounding of diplomat by Israeli raid

France on Tuesday said that "it strongly deplores" the consequences of an Israeli air raid early on November 14 in Gaza, when a French diplomat and family were wounded by shrapnel from an Israeli missile.Officials here indicated that France's view on the issue had been transmitted to Israel via France's ambassador to that country."France strongly deplores the consequences of this raid and recalled this to Israel" through the ambassador, French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said in a briefing.Valero indicated that the French Consular Representative in Gaza, Majdi Shakura, his wife and their and their 13-year-old daughter were all "slightly wounded" by missile fragments after Israel attacked a target about 200 metres from their residence.Shakura is a long-serving French diplomat and has been in the Foreign Service since 1996.Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has sent a message to Shakura expressing his concern and solidarity, Valero said.Diplomats here said that no prior warning of the Israeli raid was given to the French mission or foreign diplomats in Gaza. The French spokesman said that while France was mindful of Israel's security, civilians should not be victims and should be spared in the regular Israeli attacks on Gaza.