France Evacuates Vulnerable Citizens from Lebanon Amid Escalating Conflict
A French military plane has repatriated nearly 50 vulnerable French nationals as tensions rise between Israel and Hezbollah.
- France has deployed a military transport aircraft, A400M, to evacuate around 50 vulnerable citizens from Lebanon, primarily those unable to secure commercial flights.
- The repatriation follows France's previous efforts to reserve commercial flight seats for sick, elderly, and isolated French nationals amidst the ongoing conflict.
- Israel has intensified its military operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, conducting airstrikes and expanding its ground offensive.
- The conflict has resulted in over 2,000 deaths in Lebanon since October 2023, with more than 1 million people displaced due to the violence.
- France has also sent humanitarian aid to Lebanon, including over 27 tonnes of essential supplies, and stationed a helicopter carrier in the eastern Mediterranean for potential broader evacuations.