Key points
- Flights will be carried out subject to Israel’s clearance: France
- France has some 250,000 of its nationals in Israel
- Around 160 French citizens were flown to Paris from Jordan
ISLAMABAD: France is to send military A400M aircraft to Israel to fly out any of its nationals who wish to leave for Cyprus, the foreign and defence ministries have said.
AFP cited the ministries as saying that the flights will be carried out subject to Israel’s clearance and will supplement the chartered civilian flights already operating.
France has some 250,000 of its nationals in Israel.
Earlier Sunday, 160 French citizens — most of them vulnerable or in urgent situations — were flown to Paris from Jordan accompanied by a doctor, according to AFP.
“Military planes”
“Two more flights are coming, and starting tomorrow, our military planes will be engaged,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in a statement.
“It went really, really well, so we’re glad to arrive. But we are also thinking of our families, for the most part,” Herve Berrebi, one of the passengers, said, according to AFP.
“We hope for some peace, a little, for all communities regardless of who they are.”
A crisis team at the foreign ministry has received over 4,500 phone calls over the last week. More flights will follow, said the ministry.
