Angry Palestinians mobbed French Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie as she visited Gaza on Friday in a mix-up over a "war crimes" quote mistakenly attributed to her. On her first visit to Gaza since taking office in November, Alliot-Marie was twice ambushed by demonstrators who hurled eggs and shoes, enraged over reports of a remark that she had never made.
After the protests subsided, France's top diplomat pressed on with her visit, issuing an urgent call for Israel to end its blockade on the impoverished strip, which is home to 1.5 million people. The protests began early when dozens of protesters waving signs reading "Get out of Gaza" ambushed the French convoy shortly after it entered the strip. Many hammered on the minister's car with their fists, while others hurled shoes, and one jumped on top of the car. The anger was sparked by a statement mistakenly attributed to Alliot-Marie when she met with the parents of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.