German foreign minister visits Beirut amid Israeli offensive

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Beirut on Wednesday for talks with Lebanese officials and aid organizations amid Israel's offensive against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia.

Baerbock landed at the Rafic Hariri International Airport in the Lebanese capital in a German military aircraft.

The visit was not previously announced due to security reasons.

The trip is Baerbock's fourth to Lebanon since the October 7 attacks by the Palestinian militant group Hamas against Israel.

However, it is her first since Israel escalated its conflict with Hezbollah in September, launching a ground offensive into southern Lebanon and a wave of airstrikes in Beirut.

The operation, which has killed hundreds of Lebanese and caused hundreds of thousands to flee southern Lebanon, has intensified in recent days, with major missile strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut.

The current conflict marks the most significant fighting in Lebanon since the 2006 war.