Germany prepares special forces to be used to free hostages in Gaza - Bild
At least eight citizens of the country are held captive by Hamas
The German Armed Forces have deployed elite special forces to Cyprus, which may be used in an operation to free Germans from the captivity of the Islamist Hamas movement, as well as in the evacuation of German citizens from the Gaza Strip or Lebanon, Bild reports.
Sources in security circles said that all the necessary ammunition had been delivered to the site. In addition, special forces of the German Navy, known as "combat swimmers," are nearby in case reinforcements from the sea are needed.
Federal police special forces specializing in hostage rescue have also been mobilized. The Bundeswehr has also deployed military transport aircraft to the region.
"We are at a low start and are ready for any development," the German government emphasized.
Earlier, the German Foreign Ministry said that at least eight German citizens were held captive by Hamas. According to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), a total of 199 people have been taken hostage by the militants. Hamas called the cessation of air strikes on the Gaza Strip a condition for their release.
The day before, the United States put about 2,000 troops and several units on high alert due to the situation in the Middle East. The Pentagon emphasized that no decisions have been made to deploy forces in the region.
Prior to that, the department sent two aircraft carriers, the Gerald Ford and the Dwight Eisenhower, to the Eastern Mediterranean, and strengthened the fighter group.
At the same time, the U.S. House of Representatives began drafting a bill on the use of the U.S. army in Israel in case the conflict with Hamas escalates into a larger war with Iran. Tehran threatened to intervene if Israel launched a ground operation in the Gaza Strip.
Background. An Israeli lawmaker reportedly said, citing Pentagon data, that some of the weapons for Hamas came from Russia.
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