France refuses Israel tear gas grenades

The French authorities have confirmed reports that they have banned the sale of tear gas grenades and launchers to Israel.

A Fench foreign ministry spokesman said the state arms export licensing agency requested the ban.

He gave no further details.

News of the ban was broken last month by the French newspaper, Le Monde, which said the arms export licensing agency had blocked an Israeli order for several hundred tear gas grenade launchers. Le Monde said Israeli officials had accused Paris of "doublespeak" for asking Israel not to use live ammunition to quell riots, but at the same time refusing to supply non-lethal weaponry.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service