Expats flee Mideast nations on war fears
‘We’re happy to be back, but we’re thinking of our families who are still there.’
Daily Tribune‘We’re happy to be back, but we’re thinking of our families who are still there.’
PARIS (AFP) — France is sending military aircraft to Israel to assist in the evacuation of its nationals, as the war between Israel and Iran escalates following the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced that A400M military transport planes would begin operations “starting tomorrow,” pending Israeli clearance. The flights will head to Cyprus, providing French citizens with a route to safety as commercial flights remain disrupted by the ongoing conflict.
This move supplements civilian flights already in progress. Around 250,000 French nationals reside in Israel, with about 100,000 registered on consular lists.
On Sunday, 160 French citizens — many of them vulnerable individuals and those in urgent need — were successfully evacuated from Jordan to Paris, accompanied by medical personnel.
Barrot confirmed that two more civilian flights were scheduled, with military evacuations ramping up as the crisis worsens.
“It went really, really well. We’re happy to be back, but we’re thinking of our families who are still there,” evacuee Herve Berrebi told French media upon arrival in Paris.
U.S. orders evacuation
The United States, meanwhile, ordered family members and non-essential diplomatic personnel to leave Iraq and Lebanon. The US embassy in Beirut cited “the volatile and unpredictable security situation in the region” following Washington’s airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities on Sunday.
An American official told AFP the withdrawals were part of “streamlining operations” after assessing the heightened threat from Iranian-backed armed groups across the region.
The withdrawal comes amid growing fears of Iran-backed factions launching attacks on US interests. Hezbollah, Tehran’s powerful Lebanese ally, denounced the American strikes as proof that the US is “the largest threat to global stability.” While Hezbollah hasn’t formally intervened, its chief Naim Qassem warned last week they “will act as we see fit.”