“Special forces on site”
Marine stands ready for Lebanon evacuations
October 23, 2023, 7:26 a.m
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If German citizens need to be evacuated from Lebanon, the German Navy says it can react quickly. On the supply ship “Frankfurt am Main” it is even possible to provide high-level care for the injured.
Against the backdrop of the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas, the German Navy is preparing for evacuations of German citizens from Israel or Lebanon. “Our task is to ensure the protection of German citizens,” said naval inspector Jan Christian Kaack in an interview with the “Handelsblatt”. “We can also pick up German citizens from Lebanon if necessary.”
The task force supplier “Frankfurt am Main” is currently located in the Aegean Sea. This has a rescue center on board that is comparable to a small district hospital. “So we can care for the injured at a very high standard,” said Kaack. In addition, the corvette “Oldenburg” is involved in the operation of the UN mission Unifil off the Lebanese coast.
She will soon be replaced by the frigate “Baden-Württemberg”. “We also have special forces on site and have additional staff on hand with a high level of operational readiness. Because we have to prepare for all eventualities,” Kaack told the “Handelsblatt”.
Hamas launched a major attack on Israel on October 7th, killing around 1,400 people. The heavily armed Islamists also kidnapped around 200 people as hostages. In response to the attack, Israel sealed off the Gaza Strip and launched its massive airstrikes. A ground offensive was also announced and tens of thousands of soldiers were massed on the border with the Gaza Strip.
Tensions in the Israeli-Lebanese border area have also increased. There are repeated clashes between the Islamist Shiite Hezbollah and the Israeli army. The Hezbollah militia does not rule out greater involvement. “We can’t guarantee anything,” said deputy chief Naim Kassim in Beirut.