A number of Western countries, including the United States, have released travel advisories for Lebanon, urging their citizens to evacuate the country as soon as possible due to the imminent threat of an extensive conflict between Israel and the pro-Palestinian terrorist organization Hezbollah.
Since the onset of the conflict in Gaza in October, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah have participated in intermittent clashes. The Lebanon-based terrorist group has consistently launched rockets and mortar shells targeting Israeli positions as a show of support for Hamas in Gaza, which has led the IDF to respond with artillery bombardments and aerial strikes.
Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah spiked Saturday as a rocket attack resulted in the deaths of 12 children in Majdan Shams, a Druze city in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. Even though the Hezbollah militants have denied any responsibility for the attack, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the Iranian-made Falaq-1 rocket was launched by Hezbollah from southern Lebanon.
Following the Saturday missile strike in the Golan Heights, Israel issued a warning to Hezbollah, indicating the possibility of “all-out war.” Foreign Minister Israel Katz remarked that the group had “transgressed all established red lines, and the forthcoming response will be commensurate with that.”
Last night, the Israeli security cabinet convened and authorized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to decide on the timing and extent of additional military operations.
The US Embassy issued a travel advisory over the weekend, urging Americans to “seriously reconsider traveling to Lebanon.” The embassy emphasized that the security situation is intricate and subject to rapid changes.
The UK Foreign Office has also strongly advised British nationals to refrain from all travel to Lebanon due to the dangers linked to the current conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
The German Embassy asked all its 1200+ citizens currently in Lebanon to leave immediately.
Similar travel advisories have also been issued by France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Ireland and Australia.
But leaving Lebanon now could be a tricky task though, since Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport is Lebanon’s only air hub and Lebanese MEA and many foreign air carriers have cancelled or suspended their flights to and from the country in light of recent events.
Lebanon-based Middle East Airlines (MEA) has announced the cancellation or delay of flights at Beirut airport due to insurance risks.
German Lufthansa has also taken precautionary measures by suspending five routes to and from Beirut operated by Swiss International Air Lines, Eurowings, and Lufthansa until August 5.
Air France announced the suspension of flights between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Beirut for today and tomorrow, citing “security concerns” as a reason for its actions.
According to the flight information board at Beirut airport, Turkish Airlines has also canceled two flights.
In addition, SunExpress, a budget carrier based in Turkey, as well as AJet, a subsidiary of Turkish Airlines, Aegean Airlines from Greece, and Ethiopian Air have all canceled their flights scheduled to arrive in Beirut today.
