The first French nationals repatriated from Israel arrived this evening in Paris, five days after the Hamas terrorist attacks.
“Leaving was necessary.” French people repatriated from Israel this Thursday evening in the first flight to arrive in Paris from Tel Aviv since the Hamas attacks against the Hebrew state expressed their “relief” in front of the cameras of BFMTV and several media.
“It’s a relief to come back to a country that’s a little more secure and to be able to resume a more or less normal life,” said one of them. “Safety first”.
Several deplored the long wait before their repatriation to France. “Poland, from the first days, used three planes, three days in a row to bring out Israeli nationals. We are only waiting today. We were warned last night, others this morning at 5 hours,” testified one of the passengers. “It’s shameful,” she said.
Several countries, including Greece, Brazil and Argentina, have started repatriating their nationals before the first flight to Paris takes off this week from Tel Aviv.
“We thank the French government. They were late in coming to get us but they came anyway,” sums up another man.
Other flights starting this Friday
“We were called this morning at 11:00,” said another passenger, who “lives and lives in France”, in Strasbourg, and who “would have stayed” if his home was in Israel. “After what happened, we cannot not be worried, but we hope that the situation improves.”
“Leaving was necessary,” another man said. “It’s a relief, but leaving the family there is a little bit stressful, because it’s not over.”
More than 350 people returned to France this Thursday. “Other flights chartered by the Quai d’Orsay crisis center will follow tomorrow,” announced Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on X, formerly Twitter.
Since Saturday and the violent attacks by Hamas against the Jewish state, more than 1,200 people have been killed. France deplores 13 deaths, according to a new report announced Thursday evening by Emmanuel Macron. Seventeen French citizens “are missing, undoubtedly some of them held hostage,” declared the President of the Republic. “We will do everything to ensure that they are released,” he promised.