Amid escalating violence in West Asia, the UK government has chartered a flight to evacuate British nationals from Lebanon. This move came as Israel threatened to retaliate after Iran fired a barrage of missiles at its territory.
Pledging to immediately strike the Middle East powerfully, Israel has promised that it will make Iran ‘pay’ after the attack late Tuesday, during which most of the missiles were intercepted. As tension escalated in the region, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the flight, scheduled to depart from Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday.
5,000 British nationals
Lammy described the situation in Lebanon as “volatile” and warned that it could deteriorate quickly, UK’s Guardian newspaper reported. Eligible for the flight are British citizens, their spouses or partners, and children under 18, with vulnerable individuals prioritised.
The UK government estimates that around 5,000 British nationals and their immediate family members are currently in Lebanon. Lammy stressed the urgency of leaving, saying, “It is vital that you leave now as further evacuation may not be guaranteed.”
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‘Vital that you leave now’
This move also comes as Israel has initiated a “limited, localized and targeted” ground operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes have resulted in hundreds of deaths in the past few weeks, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. The violence has prompted many governments to prepare evacuation plans for their citizens.
British military assets have been deployed to Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean to assist with potential evacuations, the UK newspaper said. Lammy noted that around 700 troops are stationed in Cyprus, ready to support British nationals if necessary. He also chaired a ministerial meeting of the Cobra emergency committee on Monday to discuss the ongoing conflict.
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Countries including Canada, Germany, and Bulgaria have also begun evacuation efforts. Canada has reserved 800 seats on commercial flights for its citizens over the next three days, while Germany has evacuated non-essential staff and vulnerable nationals.
France has been urging its citizens not to travel to Lebanon and has plans for potential evacuations via Cyprus and Turkey. Meanwhile, the US has deployed troops to Cyprus to assist with preparations for evacuating American citizens from Lebanon. Most countries are focusing on sea evacuations due to the security risks associated with land routes.
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