France warns Iran, Hezbollah to stay out of Israel-Hamas conflict
France has urged the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia to stay out of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, expressing concern at the situation on the Lebanon-Israel border.
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Hezbollah and Lebanon must "exercise restraint to avoid opening a second front in the region", of which "the first victim will be Lebanon", the French presidency said in a statement on Saturday.
"No pretext should be given for Lebanon to slide once again into war," it said, "especially since Lebanon is extremely weakened by the absence of functional authorities".
Hezbollah and other Palestinian factions in Lebanon have exchanged cross-border fire with Israel since Hamas's surprise attack on Israel killed more than 1,300 people. Palestinian gunmen also seized an estimated 150 hostages.
Israel's retaliatory air and artillery bombardment has killed more than 2,300 people in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.
Warnings to Iran
The French presidency warned that Iran must refrain from adding to tensions in the region, while adding "it has no specific information" on Tehran's involvement in the Islamist group's offensive.
"But we know that Iranian weapons have gone to Gaza, that controlling the sea is difficult, and the links between Hezbollah and Iran," it said.
French President Emmanuel Macron would be contacting his Iranian counterpart to convey this message, his office said.
Reaffirming Israel "has a right to defend itself", Macron's office also called for all measures to be taken to protect civilians while Israel bombards the Gaza Strip.
Israeli forces are preparing a ground invasion of northern Gaza and has warned more than a million people in the densely populated enclave to flee.
Paris reaffirmed it has not been asked to provide military aid to Israel nor join in military operations.
'Protect journalists'
The French government also called for reporters covering the Israel-Hamas war to be protected after one journalist was killed and six others wounded in firing along the Lebanese border on Friday.
Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah was killed and six others wounded in a strike attributed to Israel by Lebanese authorities. Two journalists for French news agency AFP, photographer Christina Assi and video reporter Dylan Collins, were among those wounded.
The journalists believe they were hit by fire coming from the Israeli side of the border. Video shot by Collins just before the group of journalists was hit shows a flash of light coming from an Israeli position.
"We pay tribute to all those who work to defend free and independent information, and ask that they be protected," France's foreign ministry said in a statement, offering condolences to Abdallah's family and colleagues.
AFP on Saturday urged both Israeli and Lebanese authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the firing along their border that killed and wounded journalists.
Israel's military said Saturday it was looking into the circumstances, while its spokesperson told a briefing: "We are very sorry for the journalist's death."
French victims
Seventeen French nationals have died in the conflict and 15 are missing, the Foreign Ministry said on Saturday, after another two deaths were confirmed.
The dead were identified among the victims of the attack carried out by Hamas militants on 7 October.
Earlier this week, Macron said four children were among those missing.
France is among the countries pushing Israel and Egypt to open a humanitarian corridor out of Gaza.
"France is increasing its contacts with all parties who have an immediate role to play: with Israeli and Egyptian authorities to allow the Rafah crossing to be used for humanitarian operations in Gaza and notably the evacuation of our compatriots," the president's office said, adding that Macron had spoken to his counterparts in Israel and Egypt on Saturday.
(with AFP)
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