Germany prepares elite Special Forces units for potential Gaza operation
Date
10/19/2023 4:05:50 AM
(MENAFN) According to reports from a German tabloid on Wednesday, the German government has made the decision to send some of its elite Special Forces units to Cyprus in preparation for potential crisis situations in Israel, Gaza, and the broader Middle East region.
The German Army's Special Forces Command (KSK) has been dispatched to the Mediterranean island nation, and the Navy Special Forces (KSM), often referred to as combat swimmers, have also been deployed to the area.
Additionally, the federal police's Special Forces unit, which specializes in hostage rescue and is known as GSG 9, has been sent to Cyprus.
As tensions between Israel and the militant Palestinian organization Hamas, which has its headquarters in Gaza, continue to rise, the journal reports that Berlin is getting ready for "all scenarios." After Hamas launched a large rocket attack on Israel, briefly taking control of Israeli settlements in Gaza, and barraged Israel with missiles, the fight broke out.
Over 1,400 Israelis, largely civilians, lost their life as a result of the attack and the subsequent fighting between the militants and the Israeli military, according to the authorities.
According to Hamas, the terrorists also kidnapped around 200 individuals during their attack. The publication reports that among the detainees is a "double-digit number" of German citizens.
The newspaper speculated that the Special Forces might be called in to save them, and that in the event that the fighting between Israel and Hamas extends into Lebanon, the units might even be called in to evacuate German nationals employed in Gaza or to assist Germans in leaving that country.
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