US, UK urge nationals to leave Lebanon, Air France halts flights
World
US, UK urge nationals to leave Lebanon, Air France halts flights
(AFP) - Both the US and UK governments on Saturday urged their citizens in Lebanon to leave the country immediately, amid fears of all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah and a broader regional conflict.
Flights to Beirut by Air France and low-cost carrier Transavia France will remain suspended until at least Tuesday.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said British nationals should depart the Middle Eastern country "now while commercial options remain available".
"Tensions are high, and the situation could deteriorate rapidly," said Foreign Minister David Lammy.
"While we are working round the clock to strengthen our consular presence in Lebanon, my message to British nationals there is clear – leave now."
Fears of a regional Middle East war grew on Saturday after the assassination of Hamas's political leader Ismail Haniyeh, blamed on Israel, triggered vows of vengeance from Iran-backed Middle East groups.
Israel, which has declined to comment on Haniyeh's killing, had on Tuesday struck a Hezbollah stronghold in south Beirut.
That strike killed senior commander Fuad Shukr of the Lebanese militant group, blamed for a deadly rocket strike on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights last Saturday.
The killings are the latest of several major incidents that have inflamed regional tensions during the Gaza war, which has drawn in Iran-backed militant groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen.
The British Foreign Office said it was "strengthening" its support for Britons in Lebanon by deploying "border force, consular officials and military personnel to the region".
The officials will offer "additional support" to embassy staff while the military personnel will provide embassies with "operational support to help British nationals", the ministry said.
"With the potential for exit routes out of Lebanon – including roads – being affected, limited, or closed, due to events escalating with little warning, teams will continue to urge British nationals to leave while commercial options remain available."
The US embassy in Lebanon also urged its citizens Saturday to leave Lebanon on "any ticket available".
Despite flight suspensions and cancellations, "commercial transportation options to leave Lebanon remain available", the embassy statement said.
"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."
Axis of resistance
The United States said it would move additional warships and fighter jets to the region as the Iran-aligned "Axis of Resistance" readied its response to the killing of Ismail Haniyeh.
The groups from Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria have already been drawn into the nearly 10-month war in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas.
Iran on Saturday said it expects one of those groups, Hezbollah, to hit deeper inside Israel and to no longer be confined to military targets.
With such talk growing, the Pentagon said it was bolstering its military presence in the Middle East to protect US personnel and defend Israel.
Flights grounded
Meanwhile, flights to Beirut by Air France and low-cost carrier Transavia France will remain suspended until at least Tuesday due to "security" concerns in the region, parent company Air France-KLM said.
The two French airlines first stopped servicing the route on Monday, a day after Israel vowed to retaliate following rocket fire from Lebanon that killed 12 people in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
"Any resumption of operation will be subject to a renewed evaluation on the ground," a spokesman said Saturday, adding that passengers with reservations could rebook at no extra cost.
Flights to Tel Aviv will continue as normal, he added.
German carrier Lufthansa has suspended flights until 12 August.
