Germany and Netherlands urge citizens to leave Lebanon
Germany and the Netherlands have urgently advised their citizens in Lebanon to leave the country immediately.
The German Foreign Ministry updated its travel warnings for Lebanon on its website.
The statement warns German citizens against traveling to Lebanon and urges those currently in the country to leave without delay.
The announcement highlighted the highly volatile security situation in the region, noting that military clashes along the border between Lebanon and Israel have intensified in recent weeks. "The escalation and expansion of the conflict cannot be ruled out," it stated.
"AIR TRAFFIC MAY COME TO A COMPLETE HALT"
The statement also warned that further escalation could lead to a complete halt of air traffic at Rafic Hariri Airport, making it impossible to leave Lebanon by air.
In a post on its X account, the Dutch Foreign Ministry advised Dutch citizens to avoid traveling to Lebanon and urged those already there to leave immediately while flights are still available.
Since October 8, 2023, the Israeli military and Hezbollah have been engaged in reciprocal attacks in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
So far, these clashes have resulted in the deaths of 347 Hezbollah members, 63 Lebanese civilians, 19 members of the Amal Movement, 13 Hamas members, 15 Islamic Jihad members, 14 Israeli soldiers, and 10 Israeli civilians.
