European governments are advising their citizens in Lebanon to return home immediately as tensions between Hezbollah and Israel escalate. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged British nationals not to wait for a contingency plan but to evacuate now. The UK is mobilizing around 700 troops to Cyprus as part of the government’s contingency plans. France and Portugal have also issued travel warnings, while Spain has deployed military personnel to assist its citizens in leaving Lebanon. The ongoing conflict has resulted in hundreds of casualties in both countries.
The warnings come as Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah have killed more than 575 people in Lebanon’s southern region. In response, Hezbollah has fired numerous rockets at Israel. The European Commission will discuss evacuation efforts at a UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday. If necessary, the EU is prepared to coordinate evacuations for its member states. Commercial flights are still available for those looking to leave the country, according to government officials.
The UK, France, Portugal, and Spain have all issued warnings to their nationals in Lebanon to leave immediately due to escalating hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel that show no signs of easing. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized that the time to leave is now and that commercial flights are still available for evacuation. The British government is mobilizing around 700 troops to Cyprus as part of its contingency plans. France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs advised its citizens to leave Lebanon as soon as possible due to Israel’s ongoing military campaign. Portugal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs echoed this warning, particularly advising against travel to certain regions of the country.
Spain’s Foreign Ministry has not planned to evacuate Spanish nationals but has deployed military forces to assist their citizens in leaving the country. The government has formulated an evacuation plan for 1,000 Spaniards in Lebanon, which will be implemented as needed. The ongoing conflict has led to casualties in both Lebanon and Israel, with Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah and hundreds of rockets being fired in response. The European Commission will address evacuation efforts at a UN Security Council meeting, with the EU prepared to coordinate evacuations for member states if necessary.
In response to the escalating tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, European governments are urging their citizens in Lebanon to return home immediately. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged British nationals to evacuate now, emphasizing that commercial flights are still available for departure. The British government is mobilizing troops to Cyprus as part of its contingency plans. France, Portugal, and Spain have also issued travel warnings to their citizens in Lebanon, advising them to leave the country as soon as possible due to the ongoing conflict. Spanish nationals are being advised to leave, with the government preparing an evacuation plan for 1,000 Spaniards in Lebanon if needed.
Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah have resulted in casualties in Lebanon’s southern region, with hundreds of people killed since the conflict escalated. In response, Hezbollah has fired rockets at Israel, further escalating the situation. The European Commission will discuss evacuation efforts at a UN Security Council meeting in New York, with the EU ready to coordinate evacuations for member states if required. The warnings from European governments to their citizens in Lebanon highlight the seriousness of the situation and the need to leave the country as soon as possible for their safety.