Germans in Lebanon should not wait for possible evacuation but leave immediately
The Federal Foreign Office has called on Germans in Lebanon not to wait for a possible evacuation operation, but to leave immediately. "An evacuation operation is not a package tour and, despite all security measures, is associated with risks and uncertainties," the ministry said after another meeting of the federal government's crisis staff on Tuesday. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) called on all Germans to "take our travel warnings seriously".
A large-scale attack by Iran and the Hezbollah militia allied with it on Israel has been feared in the Middle East for days. Background is the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the highest-ranking Hezbollah commander Fuad Schukr in Lebanon.
"Nobody should rely on an evacuation from Lebanon being possible without problems," the Foreign Office said. "Rather, the exit options still available should be used urgently." Despite the situation, there are still commercial offers to at least get to Germany via detours. "We continue to urge all Germans in Lebanon to leave the country and register on the crisis preparedness list of the Foreign Office."
The situation in Lebanon today is "different from the last evacuation in 2006," the Foreign Office said. "Many of the former exit routes are no longer available or only restrictedly usable." Due to the Lebanon War in 2006 between Israel and the Hezbollah militia, there was a large-scale, internationally coordinated evacuation operation for foreign citizens at the time. At that time, thousands of people were brought to Germany by the federal government.
At the meeting of the crisis staff on Tuesday, it was "about further preparatory measures in case of a deterioration of the situation," the Foreign Office said. "The crisis staff is prepared for different developments and can act at any time." In particular, the defense and foreign ministries coordinate closely with each other.
"Germans currently residing in the Office in Lebanon are advised to utilize the available exit options promptly, as no evacuation from Lebanon is guaranteed to be trouble-free," the Foreign Office emphasized. "In light of the altered circumstances compared to the 2006 evacuation, those working in the Office might need to explore alternative routes to return to Germany."
