French death toll after Hamas attacks on Israel rises to 39

As a result of the attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Israel, 39 French citizens were killed, another nine people are listed as missing. reports BFMTV channel with reference to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the republic.

Some of the missing French are being held hostage by Hamas, the ministry said. The authorities of the republic are doing everything possible to achieve their release, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated.

France’s position on Hamas is “well known: it is a terrorist organization,” the statement also said. website departments. They also noted that the civilian population of Gaza should not pay for the group’s crimes. “We must at all costs avoid the trap set by Hamas and extremists on both sides who want to sow hatred for future generations,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Earlier, in an address to the nation, French President Emmanuel Macron stressed that Israel has the right to self-defense, but must do so purposefully, “preserving the civilian population.”

The Gaza-based Palestinian group Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7. The Israeli army responded by launching Operation Iron Swords. On October 27, the Israeli military announced an expansion of the ground operation and called on residents of the northern Gaza Strip to move to the south, promising them humanitarian assistance. On November 2, the Israeli army conducted an operation to encircle Gaza City.

According to the latest data, more than 10,000 people have died as a result of the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Gaza reported more than 9,000 deaths in Israeli strikes, and about 1,400 people were killed in Israel after the group’s attack.