A Parliament spokesperson did not confirm whether the event was organized in conjunction with the Israeli embassy, saying the center-right European People’s Party had arranged it.
She also alleged that the event featured a map depicting a “Greater Israel” and that organizers had told her the Palestinian people and Palestine do not exist.
Those claims could not immediately be independently verified.
The exchange followed accusations on Monday night from French center-right lawmaker François-Xavier Bellamy, who said Hassan had thrown both the Israeli and European flags to the ground and called for her to be sanctioned. Parliament Vice-President Pina Picierno also accused Hassan of trampling the flags.
Hassan confirmed in a statement that she had removed the Israeli flag from its stand, but the EU flag had inadvertently fallen over due to a loss of balance. She added that neither was damaged and that she had written to Metsola to set out her version of events.
“I did not touch the European flag,” she also told the chamber.
The exhibition was organized ahead of the third anniversary of the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.
Under Parliament’s rules, sanctions for serious breaches can range from a reprimand to the loss of daily allowances or temporary suspension from some parliamentary activities.