Rumors of a possible evacuation operation from Lebanon have given German citizens there a false sense of security, a German foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday, urging them to leave the country immediately.
"The time now has come to leave Lebanon," the spokesperson said, calling on citizens to organize their own exit even if this means travelling via Türkiye or paying high prices for flights.
A spokesperson for the defense ministry declined to give details on preparations for possible evacuations in the event of an all-out war.
Fears are high of an escalation into a wider regional war, with Iran vowing revenge against Israel over Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's killing and Lebanon's Hezbollah threatening to retaliate over Israel's killing of Fouad Shukr, one of its top commanders, in an airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs last week.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday pledged a "strong and effective" response.
He said Hezbollah would wait for the right moment to respond but did not hint at its form or timing.
All international attempts at persuading Hezbollah not to retaliate were futile, he added.
