The helicopter carrier “Dixmude” will be sent off the coast of the Gaza Strip like the “Tonnerre” which left Toulon on October 25 to support hospitals in the Palestinian enclave, announced Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu on franceinfo.
The helicopter carrier Diksmuideone of three amphibious helicopter carriers in the French military fleet, “is being equipped to be transformed into a hospital boat” in order to be sent off the coast of Gaza, announced the Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu, on franceinfo Thursday November 2.
Like the Thundera helicopter carrier which left Toulon on October 25 to support hospitals in Gaza, deprived of electricity, the Diksmuide “could be equipped with a number of hospital beds”explained the minister. “Planning” of its sending “is being made”, assures Sébastien Lecornu. Currently being prepared in Toulon, it will be ready to set sail “around mid-November”according to the minister’s entourage.
The Minister of the Armed Forces is due to go to Tonnerre on Thursday evening, according to information from franceinfo. Earlier in the day, the minister visited the Deir Kifa camp in southern Lebanon, where some of the French peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are stationed.
“It is France’s moral duty to play this role in the region”
A French military plane, an A400M, “laid” Thursday in Egypt “to deposit several dozen tons of medical freight” and two other flights will follow, “next November 3 and 5”specified the minister. “We will also perhaps be able to deploy elements of our military medicine”says Sébastien Lecornu. “The army health service has advanced surgery units, for example, with good expertise in war injuries. These are all resources that France is putting on the table”underlines the Minister of the Armed Forces.
“It must be understood that the President of the Republic has requested a global maneuver so that France is a framework nation, that is to say, a nation which leads other countries in health matters to the aid of the civilian populations of Gaza .”
Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of the Armed Forceson franceinfo
The opportunity for the minister to draw a parallel with a “multiple socket block” in order to illustrate the concept of “framework nation”. “It’s like a big block of power strips, in which we ourselves fill a few sockets and we allow other countries to come and connect, to come and assemble resources”he argues. “The civilian populations of Gaza must be protected, it is international law and it is also France’s moral duty to play this role in the region”he emphasizes, while specifying that“Israel must be able to defend itself”. “It is legitimate for Israel to take actions that will put Hamas out of harm’s way”adds the minister.