French consulate worker accused of smuggling guns to Gaza

Israeli security forces have arrested an employee of France’s consulate in Jerusalem on suspicion of smuggling weapons to Palestinians, officials have confirmed.

Romain Franck, a French national in his mid-20s, was arrested near the Erez border crossing into the Palestinian territory of Gaza in February, and has been in custody since then.

He is due to appear in court today, officials said.

According to The Times of Israel, Franck held a “series of roles” for the consulate, including working as a driver, and regularly carried out trips between Jerusalem and Gaza.

Israel’s Shin Bet security service said Franck had used a consulate vehicle and therefore bypassed Israeli security checks, moving at least 70 pistols and two assault rifles over the Israel-Gaza border on at least five occasions, reports The National.

Franck “acted for financial profit, on his own initiative and without the knowledge of his superiors”, Shin Bet added, telling Reuters that he was “not believed to have also had an ideological motives such as support for Palestinian militants”.

“We take this case very seriously and are in close contact with the Israeli authorities,” said a spokesperson for the French Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Franck “has benefited and continues to enjoy the consular protection” provided to French nationals, the spokesperson added.