PARIS, April 9 (Xinhua) -- French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Thursday that Israeli strikes on Lebanon are "intolerable."
"We strongly condemn these massive strikes," Barrot said on France Inter radio, adding that the attacks are all the more intolerable as they undermine the temporary ceasefire reached earlier between the United States and Iran.
He warned that "war begets war" and that positions are becoming increasingly radicalized and hardened, stressing that negotiations must begin.
Barrot called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing that freedom of navigation in international waters is a common good that must not be hindered by any obstacle or restriction on passage. He added that France opposes imposing tolls on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
So far, the Israeli strike on Wednesday across Lebanon has killed at least 254 people and injured 1,165 others, with densely populated neighborhoods in the capital, Beirut, among the hardest hit, according to the latest data provided by the Lebanese Civil Defense.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday condemned Israel's latest strikes on Lebanon, stressing that "Lebanon must be fully covered by" the Middle East ceasefire. ■
