Macron confirms 13 French deaths as a result of escalation in Israel

At least 13 French citizens have been killed since October 7 as a result of an attack by Hamas militants on Israeli territory. This was stated by French President Emmanuel Macron in an address to the nation, which was broadcast by the press service of the Elysee Palace.

“We are connected with Israel by the bitterness of loss. To date, 13 of our compatriots have died in this attack.”said the French leader, quoted by TASS.

Macron added that such a number of French citizens had not died due to “terrorist actions” since the terrorist attack on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice in 2016.

Earlier, the Ambassador of Belarus to Israel, Yevgeny Vorobyov, reported that three immigrants from Belarus died in Israel during an attack by Hamas militants. Another citizen of Belarus is listed as missing.

On the morning of October 7, a massive missile strike was launched against Israel. The Islamist movement Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, claimed responsibility for the attack.

In response, Jerusalem launched the counter-terrorism Operation Iron Swords. Its first phase ended by the night of October 8.

On October 10, the Israel Defense Forces announced the launch of a large-scale attack on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. Israeli planes struck several Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, including an arsenal and a command post. The command operation post in Jebaliya was also attacked.