France Deploys 7,000 Troops in Wake of Schoolteacher’s Stabbing Linked to Israel-Hamas Conflict

In response to a tragic incident that claimed the life of a schoolteacher and left three others injured, France has mobilized 7,000 soldiers to bolster security measures. The assailant, identified as a 20-year-old Russian-born Chechen named Mohamed M, was swiftly apprehended following the attack at a secondary school in Arras, northeastern France. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin revealed that the assault is believed to be linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict, and noted that 12 individuals have been detained in proximity to schools or places of worship since the Hamas assault on Israel.

This devastating event comes nearly three years after the brutal beheading of French teacher Samuel Paty on October 16, 2020, near his school in a Paris suburb by a Chechen Muslim.

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his condolences, stating, “Three years after the assassination of Samuel Paty, terrorism has struck a school again and in a context that we all know.”

Despite the ban on pro-Palestinian protests in France, hundreds gathered in central Paris on Thursday. Minister Darmanin emphasized the need to protect locations frequented by French Jews, including synagogues and schools, and underscored that any foreigner engaging in acts of anti-Semitism on French soil will face immediate expulsion.

In a further alarm, both the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles were evacuated due to bomb threats. The Louvre, a renowned cultural landmark in Paris, sees a daily influx of 30,000 to 40,000 visitors. The evacuation was conducted swiftly, with police cordoning off the area and visitors exiting the premises, some in haste, others pausing to document the situation.