Germany Takes Control over Italian-led UN Naval Forces in Lebanon

Italian-led United Nations naval forces, placed upon the entire coastline of Lebanon following the Israeli war with Hezbollah, whose main assignment is to intercept all weapons' shipments, handed over authority on all of them to Germany on Sunday during an exquisite ceremony.

Thus, Italian Admiral Giuseppe De Giorgi passed naval command to his German counterpart Andreas Krause on an Italian flagship, the Garibaldi aircraft carrier, which had been stationed in Beirut, a control handover that was also attended by United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) commander Maj. Gen. Alain Pellegrini who characterized the period during which Italy held command, as "a real success". In reply, the Italian Admiral described in magnificent words the cooperation that the Lebanese army provided during their stay in the region: "You cried out your right to life and you shall rise up again", he declared.

Brig. Gen. Hassan Mohsen, the Lebanese deputy chief of staff for naval operations, highlighted his gratitude "to Italy for their help after the last Israeli aggression", adding that he hoped that his still ill-numbered and poorly equipped fleet would soon be able to have "the right equipment to lighten the United Nation's responsibility".

As far as Germany and its own naval fleet stationed in Lebanon are concerned, the first of this kind in which the country is involved ever since the end of the Second World War, consists of eight ships, including two frigates having nearly 1,000 naval-personnel related on board, and it arrived in Lebanon at the beginning of October with the main task of monitoring all potential weapons exchanges or shipments that Hezbollah might have carried out. During the ceremony, the German Admiral accepted what he labeled as a "truly demanding mission", yet stressing that his fleet is "prepared to and ready to act when the situation demands".

Thus, the initial United Nations naval taskforces, which were made up of Italian, French, Greek and British ships, will now be replaced by a force from Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Norway, Sweden and Turkey.