The nearly 3,000 Germans who remain in Lebanon should not rely on emergency air force rescue flights, the foreign and defense ministries jointly warned today. even speaking of the “fundamentally wrong” and “irresponsible” assessments of those who refuse to leave the country, believing that the Bundeswehr will remove them at the last moment, in the event of an escalation of the conflict in the region.

“If you look at the situation in Lebanon, we have in mind the example of 2006. The situation that I have already explained here is now even more difficult. Leaving the country through Syria is not an option. The port in Beirut is not fully operational. Remember 2006: Back then, Beirut airport was one of the first targets of airstrikes and then it was no longer usable. So it’s not certain that a hasty airlift will be possible,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer said, adding that some are thinking, “Why should I leave? The air pickup will arrive in a few days and get us out of here,” asking the media to convey information with great care “so as not to cultivate a false sense of security, which could hinder possible evacuation plans.”

“An evacuation business is not an organized trip with insurance in case of cancellation. It involves risks and uncertainties and there is no shortage of problems. In this context, we continue to urgently call on all Germans who are in Lebanon to leave the country,” Mr Fischer reiterated, adding that 2,900 people who are still in Lebanon are now registered on the “emergency list”. “I call all these people once again: Now is the time to leave Lebanon and take advantage of the commercial flight opportunities that still exist, even if it means that you have to make a detour through Turkey or that the air tickets may have become somewhat more expensive,” continued the German diplomat.

For his part, the representative of the Ministry of Defense, colonel Arne Kolatz, assured about the preparedness of the armed forces, but also called with particular emphasis on the Germans to leave Lebanon as soon as possible. “All other options, including refusing to leave the country relying on the Bundeswehr, would be fundamentally wrong and – I would also like to say – irresponsible not only to themselves, but also to the soldiers involved” in this type of business, said Mr. Kolats.

In response to a question about whether there is preparedness for the possibility of a hasty removal of citizens from Israel, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said that preparations are being made for all possible scenarios and all available options are being worked out, while there is constant communication with the Israeli authorities and assessment of the situation on the ground.

Asked whether Germany would be willing to offer military support to Israel, deputy government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann said only that the government was not currently considering hypothetical scenarios, but was trying to help de-escalate the conflict.