The Minister of Defense, Margaret Robleshas confirmed that Spain will send this Thursday two Air Force planes in the direction of Beirut to carry out the evacuation of Spaniards in Lebanon, while the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albareshas specified that the “prepared” evacuation plan for national civilians will be activated when “deemed necessary”.
“Everything is prepared, obviously Spain nor the Spanish Government has ever left any Spanish citizen behind. Spanish planes are readythe provisions are prepared,” Robles explained in the Espejo Público program.
The Defense Minister has detailed that there are close to 350 Spanish citizens in Lebanon who have communicated their willingness to be repatriated to Spain and that the evacuation operation is ready, although minutes before Albares had scheduled the activation of the plan at the time “that he considers necessary.”
In addition to Spanish citizens in Lebanon, almost 700 national soldiers They are in the United Nations Interim Force for Lebanon (Finul). Regarding this military sector, the minister has maintained that he is in contact with “all countries” to make a decision, although he has mentioned that “command” rests with the UN General Secretariat.
“On the brink of total war”
The Foreign Minister has raised the alert about the situation in the Middle East in an interview in Zero Wave stating that the region is “on the brink of total war.” Thus, he has branded the new escalation of the conflict as a “extreme gravity scenario” after Iran would respond to the ground invasion of Israel in Lebanon with the launch of a hundred rockets on Tel Aviv.
The owner has condemned “sharply” the retaliation of Iran and Hezbollah against Israel, as well as the terrorist attack occurred this Tuesday in the capital of the Hebrew State, in which six people lost their lives. Some statements that take place after Israel responded to Albares for condemning the Israeli ground incursion into Lebanon. “Are Israeli citizens worth less in your eyes?” the Hebrew diplomat snapped.
Albares has asked the international community “containment and responsibility” facing a war escalation that, according to him, would have been “unthinkable” just a year ago. “I ask everyone for restraint, we are on the verge of a total regional war, we must avoid it at all costs,” said the socialist.
