French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called the attack on a cafe at Tel Aviv Sarona’s market ‘’abominable’’ but said that Israel's ban on Palestinians entering its territory as a response to the attack could escalate violence instead of focus attention on the need to pursue peace.

Following the attack by two Palestinians, which killed four Israelis and injured more than fifteen, Israel imposed travel restrictions on Palestinians and sent hundreds of additional troops into the West Bank.

"We must be careful about anything that could stoke tensions," Ayrault told journalists at the UN in New York.

France currently holds the presidency of the UN Security Council.

"There must be a political initiative from the international community to create conditions conducive to appeasement and a return to negotiations," Ayrault said.

Ayrault called for a halt to Israeli settlement building which he called a "serious provocation."

One week ago, France hosted an international meeting in Paris attended by more than two dozen Western and Arab countries to try to restart Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

“We need intense mobilization to start something new to force the parties, who will all be invited in the second part of the year to our conference, to talk to one another again,” the French minister said.

“France is always working for the security of Israel,” he said.