Dutch Ministry of Defense sends team to Lebanon amid tensions near Israel border

The Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday that it is sending a team to Lebanon as a precaution due to the escalating tension in the north of Israel and the south of Lebanon. The team departed from Eindhoven on Sunday morning aboard a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.

The team was sent to provide support to the Dutch embassy in Beirut in the event the security situation in Lebanon deteriorates significantly. The ministry said that there is currently no talk of evacuating Dutch citizens from Lebanon.

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Tensions in the border area between Israel and Lebanon have escalated significantly since the Hamas attack last Saturday. There have been repeated clashes between Israeli forces and the Hezbollah militia.

On Friday afternoon, the travel advisory for the capital Beirut and another part of Lebanon was updated from yellow to orange. This means that the entire travel advice for Lebanon now falls under the orange and red categories. "For your safety, we advise you to avoid protests and large crowds and to remain vigilant on local developments," the ministry wrote.