Israeli court jails French consulate worker over Gaza gun smuggling

A former French consulate worker has been sentenced to seven years in prison for smuggling guns from the Gaza Strip after he agreed a plea bargain with the Israeli court.

Romain Franck, who worked as a driver for the French consulate in Jerusalem, went on trial after being accused of exploiting reduced security checks for diplomats to smuggle 70 pistols and two automatic rifles from the Gaza Strip to the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The 24-year-old was also given a fine of 30,000 shekels ($8,000, 7,500 euros).

Franck's lawyer Kenneth Mann said he intends to request that he serve his sentence in France.

"This is a very, very difficult thing for the whole family of course, but they understand that this is the law and they hope that their son will be returned to France as quickly as possible," Mann told AFP after Monday's hearing.

According to Israel's Shin Bet domestic security agency, Franck was motivated by money and was paid around $5,500 for the weapons.

Israel has emphasised that its diplomatic ties with France have not been affected by the affair.