
French Ambassador plants cedar tree during visit to Ihmij at MP Simon Abi Ramia's invitation
Accompanied by the town's mayor, Nazih Abi Semaan, and his wife, the delegation toured Ihmij and visited the Cedar Nature Reserve, where Ambassador Magro planted a cedar tree in his name.
The visit concluded with a luncheon hosted by MP Abi Ramia in honor of the ambassador, attended by Mayor Abi Semaan, Ihmij's municipal leader Charbel Ziadeh, and a group of friends.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


L'Orient-Le Jour
9 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Other European countries will soon commit to recognizing the State of Palestine, says Paris
European countries "will confirm their intention to recognize the State of Palestine" at a U.N. conference on Monday and Tuesday in New York, following in the footsteps of France, which announced it would do so in September, according to the French foreign minister. During this conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia and aimed at reviving the idea of a two-state solution in the Middle East, "for the first time, the Arab countries will condemn Hamas and call for its disarmament, which will enshrine its definitive isolation," Jean-Noel Barrot also said in an interview with the weekly La Tribune Dimanche. The minister did not say which countries intended to join the group of European states that have already recognized the State of Palestine or are about to do so, which includes Spain, Ireland, Poland, Sweden, and France. The latter will become the first G7 country to do so at the next U.N. General Assembly. Franco-Saudi common vision for the 'postwar' period in Gaza British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated on Friday that recognition by London should be "part of a broader plan," and Berlin said it did not foresee it "in the short term." A conference on a two-state solution was initially scheduled for June at the highest level but was postponed due to the war between Iran and Israel. An initial ministerial meeting begins Monday in New York, ahead of a summit expected in September. "The prospect of the existence of a State of Palestine has never been so threatened or so necessary," in the context of "the destruction of the Gaza Strip, rampant Israeli settlement in the West Bank which undermines the very idea of territorial continuity, and the resignation of the international community," Barrot said. "To expect a lasting cease-fire and the release of Hamas hostages and its surrender without first outlining a political prospect is an illusion," he added. In New York, "with Saudi Arabia, a major player in the region, we will present a common vision for the 'postwar' period to ensure the reconstruction, security, and governance of Gaza and thus pave the way for the two-state solution," he said. "Our approach is perfectly compatible with the logic of the Abraham Accords," which saw Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Sudan establish formal ties with Israel in 2020, and "will facilitate, when the time comes, the conclusion of new agreements supported by the U.S. administration," he said. According to AFP's count and verification, at least 142 of the 193 U.N. member states (including France) now recognize the Palestinian state proclaimed by the Palestinian leadership in exile in 1988.


L'Orient-Le Jour
9 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Activist boat Handala seized off Gaza brought to Israel
Israeli forces brought the pro-Palestinian activist boat Handala into the port of Ashdod on Sunday, after seizing the vessel in international waters and detaining the crew, an AFP journalist saw. Campaigners from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition had attempted to breach an Israeli naval blockade of the Palestinian territory of Gaza, but were intercepted late Saturday. The legal rights centre Adalah told AFP its lawyers were in Ashdod and had demanded to speak to the 21-strong international crew, which includes two French parliamentarians and two Al Jazeera journalists. "Israeli forces intercepted the Handala in international waters at around midnight on 27 July 2025 and contact with the activists was lost. This peaceful civilian mission was dedicated to the children of Gaza," the group said. "This ship, which sailed as part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, is part of the coalition's ongoing efforts to break Israel's illegal and deadly blockade on the Palestinian people in Gaza." Earlier, the Israeli foreign ministry said the Israeli navy stopped the Handala to prevent it from entering the coastal waters off the territory of Gaza. "The vessel is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. All passengers are safe," it said. Just before midnight local time on Saturday, video live stream broadcast from the Handala showed Israeli troops boarding the vessel. An online tracker showed the ship in international waters west of Gaza. The ship had been on course to try to break an Israeli naval blockade of Gaza and bring a small quantity of humanitarian aid to the territory's Palestinian residents. The Handala's crew had said before their capture in a post on X that they would go on a hunger strike if the Israeli army intercepted the boat and detained its passengers. On board were activists from 10 countries, including two French MPs form the left-wing France Unbowed party, Emma Fourreau and Gabrielle Cathala. A previous boat sent by Freedom Flotilla, the Madleen, was also intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters on June 9 and towed to Ashdod. It carried 12 campaigners, including prominent Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. The activists were eventually expelled by Israel.


MTV Lebanon
10 hours ago
- MTV Lebanon
Watch: Activist boat Handala seized off Gaza brought to Israel
Israeli forces brought the pro-Palestinian activist boat Handala into the port of Ashdod on Sunday, after seizing the vessel in international waters and detaining the crew, an AFP journalist saw. Campaigners from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition had attempted to breach an Israeli naval blockade of the Palestinian territory of Gaza, but were intercepted late Saturday. The legal rights center Adalah told AFP its lawyers were in Ashdod and had demanded to speak to the 21-strong international crew, which includes two French parliamentarians and two Al Jazeera journalists. 'Israeli forces intercepted the Handala in international waters at around midnight on 27 July 2025 and contact with the activists was lost. This peaceful civilian mission was dedicated to the children of Gaza,' the group said. 'This ship, which sailed as part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, is part of the coalition's ongoing efforts to break Israel's illegal and deadly blockade on the Palestinian people in Gaza.' Earlier, the Israeli foreign ministry said the Israeli navy stopped the Handala to prevent it from entering the coastal waters off the territory of Gaza. 'The vessel is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. All passengers are safe,' it said. Just before midnight local time on Saturday, video live stream broadcast from the Handala showed Israeli troops boarding the vessel. An online tracker showed the ship in international waters west of Gaza. The ship had been on course to try to break an Israeli naval blockade of Gaza and bring a small quantity of humanitarian aid to the territory's Palestinian residents. The Handala's crew had said before their capture in a post on X that they would go on a hunger strike if the Israeli army intercepted the boat and detained its passengers. On board were activists from 10 countries, including two French MPs form the left-wing France Unbowed party, Emma Fourreau and Gabrielle Cathala. A previous boat sent by Freedom Flotilla, the Madleen, was also intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters on June 9 and towed to Ashdod. It carried 12 campaigners, including prominent Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. The activists were eventually expelled by Israel.