Belgian military plane to repatriate Belgians and Europeans from Lebanon on Wednesday
A Belgian military flight will be organised on Wednesday to repatriate Belgian and European citizens from Lebanon, where Israel is waging an offensive against Hezbollah. This was announced by Foreign minister Hadja Lahbib on Monday.
The plane will take off from Cologne in Germany for Beirut, carrying medical equipment for Lebanese hospitals. B-Fast, the government's emergency aid structure, is carrying out the initiative. Last week, Belgium announced that it was responding to Lebanon's request for medical equipment with 150,000 euros worth of material.
On its return to Belgium, the plane has a capacity of 250 seats for people who have expressed a wish to leave Lebanon. According to the minister's office, the number of Belgians wishing to do so has increased rapidly. The FPS Foreign Affairs contacted all known candidates on Monday with the offer to take the flight on Wednesday.
Until now, Belgium was still counting on places on commercial flights or special flights from other European countries to repatriate Belgians who wanted to leave Lebanon. On Friday, a first group of about five Belgians returned on a Dutch military flight. On Saturday, about 30 more nationals were repatriated on another Dutch military flight.
Air strikes continue
Belgian defence officials said last week that they were preparing for a repatriation operation, but were waiting for a signal from the government. According to a recent estimate, some 1,800 Belgians are still in Lebanon, although the FPS Foreign Affairs has been advising them to leave the country for months.
Israel has been bombing southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of the capital Beirut on a daily basis. On Monday, the Israeli army warned that it was preparing to expand its operations into the "coastal zone" of southern Lebanon. Residents are being advised not to go to the beaches or sea in the area.
© BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS
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