The Foreign Ministry in Berlin called on German citizens in Lebanon to “urgently leave the country”
June 26, 2024
| Last modified: June 27, 2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has visited the border with Lebanonwhere he observed a military exercise and claimed that Israel will achieve victory on this front too, if a war broke out with Hezbollah. Netanyahu praised the exercise of the 55th Reserve Parachute Brigade and the “determination of the soldiers in defending the country”, according to a statement from his office, as reported by the Times of Israel. The visit was attended by Netanyahu’s military secretary, Roman Gofman, the head of the Northern Command of the Israel Defense Forces, General Ori Gordin and other Israeli officials.
Sullivan-Gallant meeting, focus on Gaza agreement and Lebanon escalation
In their meeting at the White House, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant discussed “ongoing efforts to finalize a ceasefire agreement along with the release of the hostages.” Minister Gallant, the White House reports, reporting on the meeting, “once again confirmed the Israeli government’s support for the agreement outlined by President Biden and approved by the United Nations Security Council, the G7 and countries around the world ”. Among other things, Sullivan and Gallant “discussed ongoing efforts by the United States to support de-escalation and a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing hostilities in Lebanon, which would ensure the return of Israeli and Lebanese families to their homes in border regions”. Sullivan “reaffirmed President Biden’s commitment to ensuring that Israel has everything it needs to defend itself militarily and confront its Iranian-backed adversaries.” Additionally, Sullivan and Gallant “discussed the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the need to increase and sustain the flow of humanitarian assistance.”
Berlin calls on German citizens to urgently leave the country
The German Foreign Ministry called on German citizens in Lebanon to “leave the country urgently“. “The security situation in the region is highly unstable,” the German ministry wrote in a note, recalling that “military clashes in the border area between Lebanon and Israel have increased in intensity in recent weeks.”
“A further worsening of the situation and an expansion of the conflict cannot be ruled out. This applies in particular to the southern parts of Lebanon up to the southern urban areas of Beirut and the Bekaa Valley, including the Baalbek-Hermel district. Further escalation could also lead to a complete cessation of air traffic from Rafiq Hariri Airport. In this case it would no longer be possible to leave Lebanon by plane”, the ministry announced, adding that “in relation to the tensions in the region, protest demonstrations are also expected. In the context of such actions, riots may occur.”
Netherlands invites its citizens to leave the country as soon as possible
The Dutch Foreign Ministry has invited its citizens in Lebanon to leave the country as soon as possible and reiterated the “urgent appeal” not to travel to the region. “The situation is becoming increasingly unstable with the risk of a further escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah,” the Dutch ministry wrote in a message on X, inviting citizens to use commercial flights while they are still available and to contact the embassy in Beirut.
Gallant after meetings in US: “Significant progress on weapons”
After meeting with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, concluding a series of meetings with senior US officials, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said his visit produced notable progress regarding American arms shipments to Israel. In a video statement summarizing his meetings with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Sullivan, the Times of Israel reports, Gallant said that “during the meetings we made significant progress, obstacles were removed and bottlenecks faced on several issues, including ammunition supply.” “I would like to thank the US administration and the American public for their enduring support for the State of Israel,” Gallant said, adding that in his meeting with Sullivan the two “discussed developments in Gaza and the various efforts being undertaken to bring the hostages in Israel, of Israel’s commitment to ensuring the safe return of Israeli communities to their homes in the north by changing the reality of security in the area, and of the important cooperation between Israel and the United States in the face of Iranian aggression and its nuclear ambitions”.
