A French air traffic controller has reportedly been suspended after saying "Free Palestine" while communicating with Israeli pilots operating an El Al aircraft.

 

The incident occurred on Monday shortly after the plane departed from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, according to media reports.

 

A spokesperson for El Al told Fox News Digital that the airline viewed the controller’s words "with utmost severity" and described them as "unprofessional and inappropriate."

 

"EL AL will continue to fly proudly around the world with the Israeli flag on its aircraft, upholding professionalism and ensuring the safety and security of its passengers and crews," the airline said in a statement.

 

French Transportation Minister Philippe Tabarot responded swiftly, saying an investigation was underway. "If the facts were confirmed, they would be reprehensible as they would violate the rules of radio communications, which must be limited to the safety and regularity of air traffic," Tabarot wrote on X. He later confirmed that the recordings matched El Al’s report and said the controller had been identified and barred from duty "until further notice."

 

The declaration of “Free Palestine” comes in the context of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, which began to worsen in October 2023. More than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 151,000 injured, with women and children making up the majority of victims. Entire families have been wiped out, and millions have been forced from their homes.

 

The destruction across Gaza is immense. Satellite data shows that over 102,000 buildings have been completely destroyed, and nearly 80 percent of all structures are damaged or reduced to rubble. The healthcare system is on the brink of collapse. According to the World Health Organization, only 19 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain operational. Many provide only limited emergency care, while doctors perform surgeries without proper supplies or anesthesia.

 

Schools and UN shelters, where families sought safety, have been bombed, resulting in thousands of deaths. More than 400 aid workers and over 1,300 health workers have been reported killed as of April 2025. Journalists have also faced unprecedented targeting, with over 260 media workers killed, according to reports.

 

Starvation has been deliberately used as a weapon, leaving children malnourished and millions at risk of dying from hunger.

 

The starvation death toll has now reached 240, including 107 children, according to Aljazeera.