Several European countries are continuing to evacuate their citizens from Lebanon as tensions rise between Israel and Hezbollah, sparking fears of a wider regional conflict in the Middle East. Germany, Greece, Spain, and France have all organized military flights to bring their nationals back home, with many reporting the harrowing experiences they faced during the escalating violence.
Germany recently evacuated 130 citizens, along with medical aid, from Beirut in a military plane sent by the Multinational Multi Role Tanker Transport Unit. Greece also sent a military transport plane to bring home Greek and Cypriot nationals from Lebanon. Spain evacuated 250 people on two military planes, with plans to airlift embassy staff out of Beirut due to the seriousness of the situation. France has started evacuating its citizens, negotiating additional flights with an airline.
Meanwhile, more than 300 Turkish and foreign nationals arrived in Mersin after traveling on a ship that left Tripoli. The Turkish Foreign Ministry set up an emergency hotline for citizens to apply for evacuations, warning of deteriorating security in Lebanon.
These evacuations come as the Israeli military issues orders for communities in southern Lebanon to evacuate, hinting at a possible expansion of the ground operation against Hezbollah. Israel has warned people to leave areas north of a UN buffer zone established after the 2006 war, including the city of Nabatieh. With tensions escalating in the region, the evacuation efforts by European countries are crucial in ensuring the safety of their citizens caught in the crossfire of the conflict.
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