The situation in the Middle East is extremely tense, and more and more Germans are being put on a precautionary list in Lebanon to allow them to leave the country. The German army is making preparations for this.
Because of the feared escalation in the Middle East, the German army is prepared for a major operation to evacuate German citizens. For this purpose, A400M transport aircraft and soldiers are being kept ready at the air base in Wunstorf, Lower Saxony, and can take off at short notice, as the German Press Agency was told. Preparations are also underway in the navy. The operation could primarily involve the Germans who have remained in Lebanon despite repeated calls.
According to a report in “Spiegel”, the military is concentrating primarily on rescuing Germans from Lebanon. A400M transport aircraft could pick up Germans in Beirut after a few hours of flight time, drop them off on the nearby island of Cyprus and fly back towards the Lebanese capital, the news magazine reported. The frigate “Hamburg”, which is actually on its way to an operation in the Red Sea, could be used for a possible pick-up by sea. The ship is currently south of Greece.
According to information from the Foreign Office on Monday, 2,100 German citizens are registered in Lebanon on a crisis preparedness list. Last week, there were only 1,300 people. However, it is not known how many of the 2,100 people on the list have now left the Arab country due to the urgent warning issued by the Foreign Office last week. The German Lufthansa Group, as well as other airlines, had temporarily suspended their flights to and from Beirut due to the threatening situation.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
