The UK government on Saturday urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave the country immediately, amid fears of mounting tensions between Israel and Hezbollah and a broader regional conflict.
“Tensions are high, and the situation could deteriorate rapidly,” Foreign Minister David Lammy said in a statement. “While we are working round the clock to strengthen our consular presence in Lebanon, my message to British nationals there is clear — leave now.”
The US embassy in Lebanon also urged citizens to leave “on any ticket available.” Despite flight suspensions and cancellations, “commercial transportation options to leave Lebanon remain available”, the embassy statement said.
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Hezbollah’s leader said the group will definitely respond to Israel’s killing of its top commander, after Israel’s military announced late on Tuesday that it had killed Fuad Shukr, whom it named as Hezbollah’s most senior commander and whom it blamed for an attack at the weekend that left a dozen youngsters dead in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Hezbollah has traded near-daily cross-border fire with Israeli forces since Oct 7 after Israel launched a military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
The violence since October has killed at least 518 people in Lebanon, including at least 104 civilians, according to an AFP tally.