PUTRAJAYA, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in constant communication with the Malaysian Battalion 850-11 (MALBATT 850-11) in Lebanon amid concerns over the conflict in the Middle East. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan stated that, as of now, there was no need to bring back the MALBATT 850-11 team from their mission with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). He said Wisma Putra was closely monitoring developments in Gaza and surrounding areas, especially given the tensions and violence against civilians in Lebanon. "This also concerns us. However, we have made several contingency plans, including necessary evacuation measures if the situation escalates," he told the media after launching the Humanitarian Initiative for Palestine here today. Mohamad said that Malaysian military personnel in Lebanon, who are serving as UN peacekeepers, were currently safe. "We are in daily communication and there is no immediate need to repatriate our troops from Lebanon. We will wait for furthe r instructions, as any withdrawal of peacekeeping forces will be coordinated by the UN peacekeeping team," he said. He added that there were not many Malaysians residing in Lebanon, with the majority being Malaysian military personnel serving with MALBATT 850-11. Source: BERNAMA News Agency