LIVE. War in the Middle East: an Israeli strike leaves 6 dead this Thursday… follow the developments of the situation

Le conflit s'envenime entre Israël et ses voisins au Proche-Orient. XinHua – Ayal Margolin/JINI

La situation continue de s'enliser au Proche-Orient. Israël continue ses frappes sur le Liban et promet des représailles à l'Iran après des tirs de missiles balistiques perses. 

Israel continues its strikes on Lebanon this Thursday, October 3. All eyes are now on Tehran, which launched ballistic missile attacks against the Hebrew state on October 1. 

Key takeaways: 

Israel continues to bomb Lebanon this Thursday, October 3. An early morning strike hit a building, killing six people. Tensions are rising after the Iranian strikes. US President Joe Biden has urged Israel not to attack nuclear facilities in the event of retaliation against Tehran. The Iranian president has promised "a stronger response", in the event of a response from Israel. The French are being urged to leave Lebanon. While flights to the area are being suspended, the embassy is reserving places to evacuate nationals. 07:04.

An infographic to see things more clearly

The strikes in the Middle East. (Click to enlarge) A. Llop/Midi Libre 07:02.

What could Israel do in response to Iran ?

We asked this question to the political scientist Hasni Abidi, director of the Center for Studies and Research on the Arab and Mediterranean World (Cermam) in Geneva . “Among the potential targets in Iran, there are oil and gas installations that provide significant revenue for the country's economy and supply several countries in Asia. Airports and factories that manufacture drones – some of which are exported to Russia – are also among the sensitive sites. Strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, on the other hand, would be considered a red line for Tehran” , he analyzes.

His entire interview can be found here.

07:00.

Six dead in a strike

Israel bombed central Beirut in the early hours of Thursday, killing at least six people, according to Lebanese health officials. Reuters witnesses said they heard a powerful explosion and a security source said a building in the Bachoura neighborhood of downtown Beirut was targeted. Lebanese health officials said seven people were also wounded in the attack.

Lebanese security officials said three missiles also targeted Dahiyeh, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, where Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed last week. More than 1,900 people have been killed and more than 9,000 injured in nearly a year of conflict , according to Lebanese authorities. More than a million Lebanese have been displaced.

06:55.

French nationals arrive in Paris

Encouraged to leave Lebanon, French nationals are returning to Paris, reports BFM . They left Beirut during the night and were able to take advantage of the places that the French embassy had reserved for them. In total, 200 places are intended to repatriate “vulnerable” nationals such as fragile people, those who are sick and need care, pregnant women and young children, our colleagues indicate.