What is the information? 5 minutes to understand why the war is spreading to the Middle East

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“What’s the news?” is Franceinfo’s news media aimed at 12-18 year olds presented by Nacer Boubekeur and Marianne Théoleyre.

The clashes between Israel and Hamas since October 7, 2023 have spread across the entire region, involving more and more actors. So, who are these groups and countries involved in the conflict?

First of all, there is Hamas, a Palestinian organization which aims to destroy the State of Israel, which it does not recognize. She also wants to liberate the territories occupied by Israel and create a religious Palestinian state. It is to be differentiated from the Organization for the Liberation of Palestine (PLO), which negotiates for peace.

Israel, a major military power, responded to the October 7 attacks with a massive offensive. The Hebrew State has one objective: to eliminate Hamas and its weapons, even if it means making the Gaza Strip unlivable for the inhabitants.

Another actor in the hostilities: Hezbollahanother armed organization based in Lebanon. Supported by Iran, Hezbollah has, among other things, launched missiles at Israel to show its support for Hamas. This group, made up of 20,000 to 50,000 fighters according to experts, has also been hostile to Israel for decades. In response to its attacks, Israel struck targets in Lebanon, forcing a million Lebanese to flee.

Behind Hamas and Hezbollah, we find another key player: Iran. This country finances and supports these two armed groups. In October 2024, Iran directly attacked Israel with a hail of missiles, marking its formal entry into the conflict. According to Iran, this is a response to the death of leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, killed by Israel.

Marianne Théoleyre explains the situation to you one year after October 7 for “What’s the news?”

What’s the news? is franceinfo’s daily news meeting for middle and high school students. Videos, Monday to Friday, available on franceinfo.fr and can be found on our channel YouTubeour account Snapchat, our account TikTok, And our Instagram account.


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