France condemns rocket fire from Lebanon

France has condemned the rocket attacks launched from southern Lebanon toward Israel on Saturday, while also calling on Israel to exercise restraint in its military response, according to a statement released by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

"France condemns the rocket fire against Israel from Lebanese territory," the statement said. "At the same time, it calls on Israel to exercise restraint following the resumption of its retaliatory strikes."

The French government urged all parties to respect the commitments made under the ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024, warning that any escalation could carry serious consequences for the security of Lebanon, Israel, and the broader region.

“The progress made in recent months to ensure the safety of both Israelis and Lebanese on either side of the Blue Line must not be compromised,” the statement added, stressing the importance of maintaining the fragile stability in the area.

According to local reports, rockets were launched Saturday from southern Lebanon toward the northern Israeli town of Metula. The attack triggered a wave of Israeli airstrikes in response, with two separate rounds of strikes occurring—one in the early afternoon and another in the evening.

At least eight people were killed in the Israeli response, including a young Syrian girl, according to Mountasser Abdallah, a correspondent reporting from southern Lebanon.

Since the ceasefire was brokered between Lebanon and Israel on November 27, 2024, only one cross-border attack had been officially claimed. 

That occurred on the night of December 1, when Hezbollah fired a single mortar round at an Israeli position in disputed territory, prompting a severe Israeli response that left 11 people dead.

The November ceasefire brought an end to two months of open conflict between the Israeli military and Hezbollah, which had opened a northern front in solidarity with Hamas during the early stages of the Gaza war in October 2023.

Tensions remain high along the Israel-Lebanon border, with fears that the latest flare-up could unravel months of diplomatic progress and reignite wider conflict in the region.