France warns against travel to Lebanon, Israel and occupied Palestinian territories

France has renewed its warning for citizens not to travel to Lebanon, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. It issued the warning along with advice for its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately as tensions escalate with Israel, Anadolu has reported.

The occupation state is considering military action against the Lebanese Hezbollah following a rocket strike in the occupied Golan Heights on Saturday. Twelve children were killed in the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights when a rocket hit a football pitch. Israel claimed that the rocket was fired by Hezbollah, but the Lebanese group denied responsibility.

France condemned the attack on Majdal Shams. “We extend our condolences to the victims’ families, and express our solidarity with the injured,” said the French government, which also called for measures to prevent further military escalation.

Tensions in the region escalated further after the Israeli army presented the government on Sunday with scenarios for a possible attack on Hezbollah following the missile strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, according to Israeli media. Army Radio said that the discussions took up the possibility of “undertaking more severe military action” in Lebanon.

On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Hezbollah will “pay a heavy price” for the attack.

Fears have grown about a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah amid an exchange of cross-border attacks between the two sides. The escalation comes against the backdrop of the ongoing deadly Israeli onslaught against the Palestinians in Gaza, which has killed more than 39,300 people since last October, most of them women and children.

READ: Druze protest Israel ministers’ presence at funeral after Golan attack