The German Minister for Development, Reem Alabali Radovan, was forced this Monday to cancel her official trip to Lebanon for security reasons when the plane in which she was traveling was already near the country's airspace, in a context of increased Israeli bombings and ground offensive on Lebanese territory.
"Due to the continuous assessment of the evolving situation, which is rapidly worsening in Beirut, this decision was made for military reasons," the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in Berlin stated, as reported by the German news agency DPA, which added that the plane was already on its approach flight to the Lebanese capital.
Alabali Radovan was traveling to Lebanon accompanied by her Norwegian counterpart, Asmund Grover Aukrust, with the intention of seeing the impact of the conflict on the ground. Before boarding the plane, the German official explained that the purpose of the trip was to convey a message of support and called for an end to the violence.
"Germany stands by the Lebanese people," she declared. "But one thing is clear: people need more than emergency aid; they need peace, stability, and future prospects. The displaced must be able to return to their homes. This requires a reliable ceasefire and an end to the war," she maintained.
The German government had announced that the visit, scheduled for two days, was to focus on the situation of internally displaced persons in Lebanon and the Lebanese government's efforts to maintain its reform agenda despite the current crisis. The program also included a meeting with the Lebanese President, Joseph Aoun, and several members of the Executive.