War between Israel and Hamas: what to remember from Saturday January 6th Franceinfo

The risks of exporting the conflict to the Middle East, and particularly Lebanon, are increasing, worrying Western leaders.

Published on June 1, 2024 8:57 p.m

Reading time: 3 minutes

Smoke comes from the village of Dhayra in southern Lebanon on January 5, 2024. (AFP)

The war between Israel and Hamas continues and the risk of the conflict being exported to the Middle East is increasing. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna warned in particular of “the risk of a regional conflagration.” [qui] has never been more important,” while The head of EU diplomacy believes it is “absolutely necessary to prevent Lebanon from being drawn into a regional conflict”.

These statements come after a new day of tensions on the Lebanese border between Lebanese Hezbollah and the Israeli army, which also claims to have “completed” the dismantling of Hamas's military capabilities in the northern Gaza Strip. Here's what to remember from the 91st day of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Israel says it has “completed the military defeat” of Hamas in northern Gaza

The Israeli army will now focus on crushing the Palestinian Islamist movement “in the center and south of this territory” after completing “the military crushing” of Hamas in northern Gaza. “We will do it differently […] It takes time, there are no shortcuts in the fight against terrorism,” General Daniel Hagari, an Israeli army spokesman, said at a news conference.

France warns of risk of “regional conflagration”

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna called her Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to urge “Iran and its cronies” to “immediately” stop their “destabilizing actions” in the Middle East amid fears that the conflict between Israel and Hamas could end could be exported.

Catherine Colonna claims about “Sending a very clear message: the risk of a regional wildfire has never been greater.” The head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, said on the way to a new trip to the Middle East that he wanted to avoid an expansion of the conflict at all costs.

EU foreign minister calls on Lebanon not to go to war

“It is absolutely necessary to prevent a regional escalation in the Middle East, it is absolutely necessary to prevent Lebanon from being drawn into a regional conflict,” European Union diplomacy chief Josep Borrell said during a press conference in Beirut his Lebanese counterpart. The leader also addressed the Jewish state, ruling that “no one will emerge as a winner from a regional conflict.”

The strikes on the Lebanese border continue

The Israeli army claimed to have carried out attacks against Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon. It said it struck “a number of targets of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in the Aita al-Sha'ab, Yaron and Ramya regions of southern Lebanon.” This came after Lebanon's Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets into northern Israel in response to the attack that killed Hamas No. 2 Saleh al-Arouri south of Beirut on Wednesday.

No respite in the Gaza Strip

The Palestinian enclave is still the scene of clashes between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli Air Force has carried out new strikes on the besieged and devastated Gaza Strip, where dozens of Palestinians have died in the last 24 hours. The UN has described the area as an “uninhabitable place of death”.

Hamas, for its part, announced on October 7 a new death toll of 22,722 since the start of the war. This tally from the Palestinian Movement Ministry of Health includes the 122 people killed in Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours. No local source can independently support this assessment.