PARIS - The French government has helped organise the evacuation of about 8,500 people, including 6,500 French citizens, since the start of hostilities in Lebanon, the French foreign ministry said Thursday.
Another group of French nationals arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris on Thursday on flights from Larnaca in Cyprus and Mersin in Turkey, foreign ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei said.
A further 185 people were lifted from the Lebanese towns of Naqura and Tyre on Wednesday and arrived in Cyprus on Thursday.
The conflict between Israel and Lebanon began on July 12 and has since killed 414 people in Lebanon, according to latest estimates.
07/27/2006 15:44 GMT