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French envoy to Annahar newspaper: Israeli strike on Lebanon imminent

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Annahar Newspaper
24 Oct 2023 13:38

The French diplomat, cited by Annahar newspaper, says that there is no longer any doubt of a future Israeli strike against Lebanon.

French and Israeli flags are seen as French President Emmanuel Macron meets Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Occupied Al-Quds, on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023 (AP)

The daily Lebanese newspaper Annahar reported today, citing a French diplomatic source, that an Israeli strike against Lebanon is imminent.

The French envoy said that Hezbollah's targeting of Israeli tanks and military positions in the occupied Shebaa farms makes an Israeli strike against Lebanon imminent.

"There is no longer any doubt that Israel will conduct a strike against Lebanon, but the date of the strike is unknown," the French diplomat said, framing the expected Israeli strike against Lebanon as being a "retaliation by Israel against Hezbollah".

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in "Tel Aviv" on Tuesday to express his country's "full solidarity" with "Israel" after the launch of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, according to an AFP journalist.

The French head of state was also expected to call for the "preservation of the civilian population" in Gaza, as "Israel" carries out a relentless bombardment of the Palestinian enclave and prepares for a ground invasion, the presidency said.

In light of that, it is worth noting that in an attempt to suppress global solidarity with Palestine, France is banning any protests and gatherings in support of the occupied people.

The IOF has been carefully working around the deterrence equation enforced back in 2006 to avoid a retaliatory strike from Hezbollah deep within Israeli territories, a report by Al-Akhbar newspaper claimed last week.

Last week, Israeli media reported that the IOF expects the escalations in South Lebanon would be limited within the scope of combat days and wouldn't deteriorate into an all-out war because neither the IOF nor Hezbollah wants war.

The report concludes that the Israeli security-intelligence establishment assesses that a regional war scenario is still not probable, but a war with Hezbollah seems to be more likely with every passing day.

Given "Israel's" adamance to proceed with a ground invasion in Gaza, three scenarios seem to be likely on the Northern front: combat days, contained war, or regional war.