Vacation despite war: How travelers in the Middle East are affected!

Vacation despite war: How travelers in the Middle East are affected!

The security situation in the Middle East is currently tense and is characterized by political and military conflicts. Israel is at war with Iran while Lebanon's Hezbollah fights against Israel. Armed militias are also active in other countries in the region, such as Yemen and Syria, which are contributing to the destabilization of the situation. The Federal Foreign Office has updated travel and security advice for the region in light of these developments and issued an urgent travel warning for Israel and Iran. However, uncertainty about the security situation also extends to other Middle East countries, further complicating the situation, such as rp-online.de reported.

The recent killings of senior Hamas and Hezbollah leaders Ismail Haniya and Fuad Shukr have further heightened tensions, while threats of retaliation from the affected groups raise the possibility of further conflict in the Middle East. Analysts and experts expect that Iran could possibly launch an attack on Israel starting Monday, supported by its allies. US news portal Axios has reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks of a critical window of time between 24 and 48 hours in which such a strike could occur. The pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is growing as criticism of the lack of a strategy becomes louder.

Military preparations and international reactions

Amid these worrying developments, Israel has put its army on high alert. Warplanes are patrolling the skies, while the Civil Defense Authority has not changed instructions to the population and the general mood in Israel remains calm. Reports show GPS usage is disrupted in parts of the country, which could indicate military preparations. At the same time, Israel has formulated plans to defend against possible attacks under a US-led protective coalition. The US has increased its military presence in the Middle East, sending additional warships and fighter jets, while the US defense secretary offers Israel "iron support". President Joe Biden plans to meet with his security advisers on the situation in the Middle East, as tagesschau.de reported.

Diplomatic efforts to calm the situation are focused on exchanges between Qatar, Egypt and Jordan, and mediation between Israel and the Iran-Hamas alliance. A notable step was the visit of the Jordanian Foreign Minister to Tehran, the first official trip of its kind since 2004. Egypt calls for calm and restraint in talks with Iran, while Iran rejects direct attempts at mediation but calls for Israel to be punished.

Current aggression and effects

The recent aggression between Hezbollah and Israel has led to mutual attacks, but so far there has been no major damage. Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip continue, which have already resulted in numerous injuries and deaths. The Houthi militia in Yemen has also attacked freighters for the first time in two weeks, raising the risk of a regional conflict. Given this tense situation, several states have asked their citizens to leave Lebanon and Iran and have temporarily suspended flights to the region.