Foreign Office warns Germans in Lebanon
The Federal Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defense are urging Germans still in Lebanon to leave the country urgently. According to the crisis preparedness list of the German embassy, there are 2900 people. In case of escalation, they should not rely on an evacuation operation, it is said.
The German government has dampened expectations of a swift evacuation of Germans from Lebanon. "It is not very likely that there will be a quick airlift," a spokesman for the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin said. The German government is again appealing to all those affected to leave quickly on their own. With regard to an evacuation action for Germans in Israel, the spokesman referred to the fact that there had already been such an action after the Hamas attack in October.
"We assume that the people who are now in Israel are fully aware of the situation," the spokesman said. The German government is preparing for all scenarios.
A large-scale attack by Iran and the Hezbollah militia allied with it in Lebanon on Israel has been feared in the Middle East for days. Background is the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyah in Tehran and the highest-ranking Hezbollah commander Fuad Schukr in Lebanon.
With regard to Germans in Lebanon, the Foreign Office spokesman said that around 2900 people had registered on the crisis preparedness list of the German embassy. He again warned against relying on an evacuation operation. "An evacuation operation is not a package tour with travel cancellation insurance," he said. "It is associated with dangers and uncertainties and is not trouble-free. And for that reason, we continue to urge all Germans who are in Lebanon to leave urgently," the spokesman said.
Beirut port not fully operational
The conditions for an evacuation in Lebanon are "significantly more difficult" than in the last such action in 2006 during the then war between Israel and the Hezbollah militia, the spokesman said. Unlike then, an exit via Syria is "not an option" today, and the port of Beirut, which was extensively destroyed by a heavy explosion in 2020, is also "not fully operational". And even in 2006, the airport of Beirut could not be used because it was also one of the first targets of air attacks.
Therefore, the time has come to leave Lebanon, the Foreign Office spokesman said. He called on German citizens to "use the still available commercial options - even if that means having to take a detour via Turkey or if it means that the flight tickets have become a bit more expensive".
"Always ready for action"
A spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Defense criticized media reports of the past few days about an impending evacuation operation. That transport aircraft are being held ready at the air force base in Wunstorf is "common knowledge," he said. "The A400M we use for that is only in Wunstorf and is not tailored to the individual case."
He therefore asked that "these differences be taken into account in the reporting" and that "a false impression not be given to those who are called upon to leave on site". "Refusal to leave, citing the Bundeswehr, would be fundamentally wrong and (...) irresponsible - not just towards oneself, but also towards the soldiers involved."
The spokesman for the Federal Foreign Office said that the situation in the Near East is being monitored very closely and comprehensively and there is coordination with the Ministry of Defense. "We are always ready for action."
Rapid Air Evacuation is the first of three escalation levels in the event of an evacuation operation and, according to the German Armed Forces, is the simplest option in an otherwise complex situation. The Air Force dispatches aircraft to bring fellow countrymen home in a rapid air evacuation. In a robust air evacuation, protected persons are registered at a collection point and flown out. If necessary, they must be fought for.
The Foreign Office spokesperson emphasized that around 2900 Germans in Lebanon should not rely on an evacuation operation due to the complex conditions. The spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Defense also mentioned that the A400M aircraft used for evacuations is not tailored to every individual case.
