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France on Wednesday condemned the deadly Israeli strikes on Lebanon, called for an immediate ceasefire and declared its opposition to Israel's invasion of its neighbour.
The French ambassador to the UN, Nicolas de Riviere, told the Security Council it was “imperative” for Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity to be restored.
“The situation in Lebanon is serious: military operations are intensifying, the Israeli army has carried out land incursions in violation of Lebanese sovereignty, and Hezbollah is pursuing its attacks against Israel,” Mr de Riviere said at an emergency meeting requested by Israel and France.
“France is opposed to any Israeli ground operation in Lebanon and … condemns the Israeli air strikes, which have caused an unacceptable number of civilian casualties, and the attacks by Hezbollah against Israel and its population.”
Last month, Israel shifted its focus from the war in Gaza, which erupted after the October 7 Hamas attacks against Israel, to strengthening security along its northern border with Lebanon.
The 15-member UN Security Council convened after Israel launched a ground offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah this week. On Tuesday, Tehran sent a barrage of ballistic missiles into Israel, stoking fears of a broader regional war.
Mr de Riviere urged the warring parties to urgently consider a 21-day ceasefire proposal proposed by the US and France.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, meanwhile, told the Security Council that “raging fires in the Middle East are fast becoming an inferno”.
“We have seen a dramatic escalation – so dramatic that I wonder what remains of the framework this Council established with Resolution 1701,” he said, referring to the measure that ended the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel but was never fully implemented.
Mr Guterres rejected Israel's request to relocate UN peacekeepers from southern Lebanon, stating they would remain where the “UN flag continues to fly”.
He also condemned Iran's attack on Israel. Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced he was barring Mr Guterres from entering the country, blaming the UN chief's failure to specifically condemn Iran's missile attack.
Israel's vow to retaliate has spurred diplomatic efforts to ease tensions, with Iran warning of a larger attack if Israel proceeds. Of the 200 missiles fired, most were intercepted by Israel’s air defense systems, bolstered by support from the US and allies. Israel's UN envoy, Danny Danon, warned Tehran of consequences "far greater than they could ever have imagined."
US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield criticised Iran's support for regional proxies, blaming it for the crises in Gaza and Lebanon. She accused the IRGC of acting in solidarity with Hezbollah after its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed, rather than defending Iran from threats.
Iran defended its actions as a response to "Israel's continued aggressive acts," with Tehran’s UN ambassador, Amir Iravani, warning Israel that its attacks would not go unpunished.
Lebanon's UN ambassador, Hadi Hachem, condemned Israel's actions and said its claims of limited operations are “false”.
“The damage to civilians and infrastructure is immense,” he noted, highlighting the dire situation in southern Lebanon and Beirut where children have been forced to sleep on the streets.
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The bio
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
Superliminal%20
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Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
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