War in the Middle East: France raises its voice after a “provocative” statement from Netanyahu

Israeli army continues bombing &amp ;in Gaza and is now undertaking strikes in Syria. For his part, Benyamin Netanyahu clearly threatens Lebanon with "destruction", comments denounced by Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The essentials

• Israeli strikes continued on Wednesday in the Gaza Strip. At least 12 Palestinians were killed in the north and center of the Palestinian enclave in IDF strikes, the WAFA news agency reported. For its part, the Israeli army said it was conducting “limited operations” in southern Lebanon.
• On Tuesday, a strike attributed to Israel targeted a neighborhood in Damascus, Syria, targeting a senior Hezbollah official potentially involved in arms trafficking between Iran and Lebanon. A residential building located a few hundred meters from the Iranian embassy was notably targeted. The SANA news agency deplores the death of seven civilians in this strike.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened the Lebanese with Gaza-like “destruction” if they do not “liberate” their country from Hezbollah, in a video posted on X. If he is not heeded, the conflict could descend into “the abyss of a long war.”
• A statement to to which the French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot did not fail to react: "If this provocation were to be followed by effect, it would drag Lebanon, a country friendly to France that is already so fragile, into chaos", he warns.

Live

11:22 – “400,000 people trapped” in northern Gaza

In a statement published on X, the director of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, announces “that at least 400,000 people are trapped” in the northern Gaza Strip. “Recent evacuation orders from the Israeli authorities are forcing people to flee again and again, especially the Jabaliya camp. Many refuse because they know too well that nowhere in the Gaza Strip is safe,” he says.

Israeli strikes killed at least 18 people in the Gaza Strip overnight, Palestinian emergency services said Wednesday. The emergency services said they had received unofficial reports that dozens of Palestinians may have died in Jabaliya.

On Wednesday, the Israeli army called on residents of southern Lebanon to take precautions: “To the residents of southern Lebanon, beware! (…) You are forbidden from returning to your homes until further notice, in order to ensure your safety. You must refrain from heading south. Anyone heading south is putting their life in danger," Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee told Arab media.

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09:58 – Egypt and Jordan show their support for Lebanon

This Tuesday, Egypt and Jordan jointly condemned the “Israeli aggression” in Lebanon. “We condemn the Israeli aggression against Lebanon, we condemn the Israeli bombing of the Lebanese capital, we condemn the Israeli assistance of Lebanese citizens,” said Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. His Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty recalled the “solidarity of their countries with the Lebanese State and people”, namely Egypt and Jordan.

09:24 – The Minister of Foreign Affairs raises his voice

On Tuesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot attempted to respond to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's threats of “destruction and suffering like those we see in Gaza” against Lebanon if the country did not “get rid of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia.”

The French minister denounced a “provocation” which, if it “were followed by effect, would drag Lebanon, a friend of France that is already so fragile, into chaos. And that would pose security problems for Israel that are even greater than those that prevailed before the military operations in Lebanon,” warned Jean-Noel Barrot on France 2. “The situation in Lebanon is catastrophic,” he recalled. “Force must give way to dialogue,” he said on the France 2 set.

09:09 – Israel targets senior Hezbollah official in Syria

A strike attributed to Israel targeted a neighborhood in Damascus, Syria, on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, targeting a senior Hezbollah official potentially involved in arms trafficking between Iran and Lebanon. A residential building located a few hundred meters from the Iranian embassy was notably targeted. The SANA news agency deplores the death of seven civilians in this strike.

According to Al-Hadath, a Saudi media outlet, the target of this attack was a member of Hezbollah's Unit 4400, a cell responsible for transporting weapons from Iran and its allies to the terrorist group in Lebanon. Information that has not yet been officially confirmed. This attack is part of Israel's logic of actions against Hezbollah and its allies.

08/10/24- 23:39 – Nearly 50 French people evacuated from Lebanon towards France

END OF LIVE – In a press release from the Quai d'Orsay, we learned this Tuesday evening that “the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, in conjunction with the Ministry of the Armed Forces, today enabled nearly 50 of our compatriots in vulnerable situations to return to France, using the return flight of emergency humanitarian aid that arrived in Lebanon today”. Other flights are being organized, it is specified. Flights that could allow the repatriation of many other compatriots.