what to remember from Saturday October 5

The regional conflagration threatens the Middle East, as Iran warned it would react “even stronger” if Israel responded to the Iranian missile attack. A skirmish between Emmanuel Macron and Benjamin Netanyahu over the delivery of arms to the Jewish state.

Israel commemorates on Monday October 7 the unprecedented attack by Hamas on its territory in October 2023, which caused astonishment in the country and triggered the war in the Gaza Strip, which has since spread to neighboring Lebanon against Hezbollah. This movement will be fought “without respite”promised the Jewish state. On Saturday, Emmanuel Macron spoke out in favor of stopping deliveries of weapons used in Gaza, which earned him a virulent response from Benjamin Netanyahu. Here is what to remember from this new day of conflict.

Emmanuel Macron wants an end to deliveries of weapons used by Israel in Gaza, Benjamin Netanyahu responds

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke out on Saturday October 5 in favor of stopping arms deliveries to Israel which are used in the conflict in Gaza. “I think that today, the priority is that we return to a political solution, that we stop delivering weapons to carry out the fighting in Gazahe declared on France Inter. France does not deliver any”he added. In January 2024, the government assured that it would only deliver defensive equipment to Israel.

In the evening, Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the head of state in a virulent manner. “As Israel fights the forces of barbarism led by Iran, all civilized countries should stand firmly with Israel. Yet President Macron and other Western leaders are now calling for arms embargoes against Israel. They should be ashamed.declared Benjamin Netanyahu in a press release from his office. “Your shame will endure long after we win.”

Iran warns Israel in case of response to missile launches

The head of Iranian diplomacy promised on Saturday that Tehran would react “even stronger” if Israel responded to the Iranian missile attack. “Our reaction to any attack by the Zionist regime (Israel) is absolutely clear”declared Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in the Syrian capital Damascus, where he notably met President Bashar al-Assad, Tehran’s ally. On October 1, Iran launched some 200 missiles into Israeli territory, the second such direct attack in less than six months.

Contact with a senior Hezbollah official has been “lost” since Friday

Several sources within the Lebanese Islamist movement told AFP and at CNN that contact with Hachem Safieddine had been “lost” since the Israeli strikes targeting the Hezbollah stronghold near Beirut on Friday. His name was circulating as a potential successor to Hassan Nasrallah, killed on September 27.

New bombings in Beirut, where the human situation is critical

A series of explosions were heard overnight from Friday to Saturday in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, known to be the stronghold of Hezbollah, after the Israeli army issued evacuation orders for certain areas. Friday evening, the spokesperson for the Israeli army in Arabic, Avishay Adrae, had indeed alerted residents of the Burj el-Barajneh and Haret Hreik neighborhoods of imminent operations on “Hezbollah facilities and interests”ordering these residents to stay away “at least 500 meters” designated sites.

Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that the army had succeeded in destroying “a large part” of Hezbollah’s arsenal in Lebanon and “to change” the course of the war against the Islamist movement supported by Iran. “We must continue to put pressure on Hezbollah and inflict additional damage on the enemy, without concessions and without respite for the organization”said General Halevi.

Furthermore, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, estimated on Saturday that Lebanon is going through “a terrible crisis”. “Hundreds of thousands of people are destitute or displaced by Israeli airstrikes. I came here in solidarity with those affected, to support the humanitarian effort and to call for more international aid”he declared on the social network

In London, Paris or Cape Town, numerous pro-Gaza demonstrations and in support of Lebanon

In Cape Town (South Africa), Caracas (Venezuela), London (United Kingdom), Paris, Lyon and Strasbourg, thousands of people marched on Saturday October 5 during pro-Gaza rallies, marking the first anniversary of bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas. These demonstrations took place while Israel has just carried out new bombings in Lebanonparticularly in the southern suburbs of Beirut, stronghold of pro-Iranian Hezbollah.

In Israel, multiple commemorations planned for the October 7 anniversary

For the first anniversary of the deadliest day in Israel since its creation in 1948, the head of state, Isaac Herzog, will preside over a commemorative ceremony in Sderot, one of the hardest hit cities. The death toll from this attack stands at 1 205 dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli data and including hostages who died or were killed in captivity in the Gaza Strip.

Other events planned for Monday in Israel include a commemoration in Kibbutz Reim, site of the Nova music festival where Hamas militants killed at least 370 people, and a rally in another nearby kibbutz, Berri, where more than 100 people were killed on October 7, 2023.

In Tel Aviv (center), demonstrations are organized from Sunday. Families of hostages still held in the Gaza Strip plan a rally to demand their release. In total, 251 hostages were taken to the Gaza Strip. A year later, 97 are still held in captivity, including 33 declared dead. On Saturday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a statement that the injuries were not “not yet completely healed (…) because hostages are still tortured, executed and die in captivity”.

Canada calls on its nationals to leave Lebanon

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday called on his compatriots to urgently leave Lebanon, bombed by the Israeli army, which launched a ground operation against Hezbollah in the south of the country. “We encourage all Canadians who are in Lebanon to take seats on these planes and get out of Lebanon while they can”he declared during a press briefing in Paris, where he is participating in the Francophonie summit. In recent days, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and even Germany have launched similar appeals, and even started to evacuate their nationals. France has not yet issued such an opinion.