France has said it had been informed by Israel that its forces had carried out a strike on the French Institute in Gaza, adding it was demanding an explanation, AFP reports.

“We were informed by the Israeli authorities that the French Institute in Gaza had been targeted by an Israeli strike,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

“We have asked the Israeli authorities to communicate to us without delay … the tangible elements which motivated this decision,” it said. No staff or French nationals were present at the time of the strike, the ministry said.