(Dan Tri) – German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz was urgently evacuated to a shelter while on a plane preparing to leave Tel Aviv after a visit to Israel on October 17.
German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a joint press conference in Tel Aviv on October 17 (Photo: AP).
Politico reported that German Prime Minister Olaf Scholz and his delegation had to evacuate the plane at Ben Gurion Airport, Israel’s capital Tel Aviv on the evening of October 17th due to sirens of rocket attacks from Gaza.
Videos and photos shared on social networks show the group of assistants and reporters in the group accompanying the German leader hastily leaving the plane and lying close to the ground.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scholz was evacuated to a nearby shelter by car.
The incident occurred when Mr. Scholz and the delegation boarded a special plane, preparing to leave Tel Aviv after a visit to Israel.
Assistants and reporters accompanying German Prime Minister Scholz lay close to the airport when the alarm sounded on the evening of October 17 (Photo: AFP).
Robin Alexander, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the German daily Welt, recalled: `I saw explosions in the sky with my own eyes when Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system intercepted two missiles.`
When the situation stabilized, Prime Minister Scholz and the delegation returned to the plane and took off safely from Tel Aviv to the Egyptian capital Cairo.
This is not the first time Mr. Scholz had to be evacuated due to an attack siren in Israel.
Prime Minister Scholz is the first Western leader to visit Israel since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on October 7.
US President Joe Biden is also expected to arrive in Israel in a few hours.
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby revealed that Mr. Biden is expected to ask `difficult questions` to Israel as a friend.
He said the visit was intended to show support for Israel and also to resolve the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza and rescue hostages held by Hamas.
President Biden will also discuss Israel’s needs, which Washington will do its best to meet.
Previously, in less than a week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken came to Israel twice to hold meetings to discuss the current regional situation.
During his second visit, Mr. Blinken had a meeting lasting more than 6 hours, even overnight, with the Israeli wartime cabinet.
