France confirms: No sale or shipment of weapons to Israel after protests at the port of Marseille.
June 7, 20250 ViewsRead Time: 2 minutes
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French Minister of Defense, Sébastien Lecornu, confirmed his country's clear stance of not selling weapons to Israel, following Marseille-Fos dockworkers' refusal to load military shipments destined for Haifa port in northern Israel. This statement was made during his interview with the French TV channel "LCI," emphasizing that France does not directly sell weapons to Israel, considering it a major competitor to the French defense industries. The Minister explained that what is sold to Israel is limited to "components" designated for the "Iron Dome" defense system, which protects Israel from missile and drone attacks, along with elements that are re-exported after industrial intervention in Israel, noting that all these operations are subject to strict monitoring. This statement comes after Marseille-Fos dockworkers refused to load military shipments, including machine gun parts produced by "Eurolineks," in protest against "the ongoing atrocities committed by the Israeli government" in Gaza. The port operating company reported that the ship left the port yesterday, Friday, without loading those containers. On the other hand, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barou clarified that his country does not provide military equipment used in Gaza, but mentioned "exceptions" related to components that enable Israel to defend itself, especially through the Iron Dome system, confirming the existence of equipment assembled in Israel and designated for re-export. Barou added that the use of Eurolineks equipment in Gaza constitutes a violation of the law by the company. These developments occur amidst the ongoing crisis in Gaza, which erupted after Hamas' attack on Israel in October 2023, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians and the abduction of hundreds, while Israel responded with extensive shelling leading to hundreds of civilian casualties according to the health ministry statistics in Gaza endorsed by the United Nations.
