The United States, UK and Canada have issued advisories for their citizens requesting them to leave Lebanon amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah following the killing of Hamas’ top leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in the previous week.
The US Embassy in Lebanon in a post on X called for US citizens to book any ticket available to leave Lebanon and also prepare contingency plans for emergency situations.
‘The US Embassy notes several airlines have suspended or cancelled flights, and many flights have sold out; however, commercial transportation options to leave Lebanon remain available. Please see available flight options at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport. We encourage those who wish to depart Lebanon to book any ticket available to them, even if that flight does not depart immediately or does not follow their first-choice route’, the US embassy said in a post.
‘The Department of State has raised its Lebanon Travel Advisory from Level 3: Reconsider Travel to Level 4: Do Not Travel. We recommend that U.S. citizens enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive alerts’, the embassy said in another post.
Meanwhile, the UK foreign ministry urged all British nationals to depart from the Middle East country saying, ‘now while commercial options remain available’. Foreign Minister David Lammy in a statement said, ‘Tensions are high, and the situation could deteriorate rapidly’.
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