MP Gallant rejects French mediation offer as Hezbollah continues bombing of northern Israel

In an unusually harsh public statement, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant rejected a French proposal from President Emmanuel Macron that would see France, the United States and Israel working jointly in a “contact group” to defuse the explosive situation in Israel’s northern border.

“While we are waging a just war, defending our people, France has adopted hostile policies against Israel,” Gallant wrote on 𝕏, in a rare statement just hours before the start of the Jewish Sabbath.

“In doing so, France ignores the atrocities committed by Hamas against Israeli children, women and men. Israel will not be party to the trilateral framework proposed by France,” he wrote, without going into detail about the reasons for his rejection.

Gallant’s reaction was apparently motivated by the decision of the French authorities to exclude the Israeli defense industry to participate in the Eurosatory defense exhibition in France, which opens on Monday.

Eurosatory is one of the largest defense exhibitions in the world, with more than 1,700 companies expected to attend more than 60,000 participants from 150 countries. Israel was supposed to participate with 74 companies.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah continued its attacks on Israel over the weekend, causing additional damage and fires, which have destroyed an area of ​​more than 45,000 dunams (11,120 acres) in recent weeks.

The terrorist group continued its Barrage of 35 rockets in Kiryat Shmona on Friday morning by launching three rockets at the Hanita and Ya’ara area, five rockets at Margaliot and six rockets at Bar’am, where a fire caused by the explosions continued to burn well into the night.

Two more rockets were fired at Shtula and Metula. In total, Hezbollah fired around sixty rockets at Israel on Friday.

The following morning, the IDF confirmed that two anti-tank missiles had hit the strategically important Mount Meron air control base, stressing that no soldiers were injured and the operation of the systems was not compromised.

The Israeli army then declared that it had eliminated a Hezbollah terrorist on a motorcycle in the Lebanese village of Aytaroun.

Later in the day, Hezbollah claimed to have attacked an IDF post in the western Galilee town of Goren with a swarm of drones. The Israeli army confirmed that four drones managed to penetrate Israeli defenses and exploded in open areas.

Until now, US President Joe Biden’s special envoy, Amos Hochstein, was the main mediator leading efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which opened hostilities on October 8 in support of Hamas.

Hochstein is due to arrive in Israel on Monday to discuss Hezbollah’s escalating attacks against Israel and to seek a way to prevent all-out war, according to media outlet Axios.

Gallant is expected to visit the United States later this month for the second time since the war, The Times of Israel reported Saturday.

Speaking at the G7 summit last Thursday, French President Macron proposed his country as a mediator and proposed holding a trilateral summit with the United States and Israel.

Gallant’s harsh comments on the French trilateral initiative were met with disapproval from senior Israeli Foreign Ministry officials, prompting them to denounce Gallant in public.

“We disapprove of Defense Minister Gallant’s attacks on France,” anonymous diplomats said in a rare statement. “Beyond the existing disagreements between Israel and France, the statements against France are incorrect and inappropriate,” they added, stressing that France had played “an active role” in defending Israel against the attack. of Iranian drones and missiles in April.

“From the start of the war,” the diplomats said, “France has adopted a clear line of denunciation and sanctions against Hamas and takes an aggressive line in everything related to EU sanctions against Iran and its missile and drone project, and was a partner in the IAEA Board of Governors’ decision to advance a sanctions process against Iran’s nuclear program.

“The Foreign Ministry will continue to fight to protect Israel’s interests on the northern border with all relevant actors,” the diplomats concluded.

Shortly before the start of the Jewish Sabbath, Gallant again responded to the anonymous diplomats, with his office saying they were “hiding” behind their anonymity and that Israel would not involve France in its deliberations over the critical situation in the north. .

“Israel will not grant France status in deliberations on its security needs in Lebanon. This position is shared by the United States and Israel,” the statement from Gallant’s office said.