An increasing number of embassies have evacuated Beirut, while more countries are calling on their nationals to avoid traveling to Lebanon or to leave the country if already there, amid growing fears of a regional escalation following the recent assassinations of Hezbollah military chief Fouad Shukor and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
As reported by L'Orient Today, several nations have issued travel advisories and evacuation recommendations in recent days, reflecting heightened concerns about potential military conflict in the Middle East.
Following all the world-wide calls for civilians to leave #Lebanon immediately, also the Lebanese civilians are not taking any risks and trying to flee Lebanon before escalation.
The airport in #Beirut is extra overcrowded today with departures attempts #israel #iran #ww3 pic.twitter.com/IXx8KdIIaJ
— Elly 🎗️Israel Hamas War Updates (@elly_bar) August 4, 2024
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated, "Tensions are high, and the situation could deteriorate rapidly. My message to British nationals is clear: leave now." Family members of British Embassy workers in Beirut have been evacuated from the region, the UK Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday. Sweden has confirmed that they have relocated their embassy workers to Cyprus temporarily.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised citizens to make arrangements to depart while commercial flights with layovers to France are still available. The US Embassy in Beirut issued a new warning to American citizens on Saturday, urging them to take any available flight out of Beirut. The embassy stated, "We encourage those wishing to leave Lebanon to book any available ticket, even if that flight does not depart immediately or does not follow the itinerary of their choice."
China's embassy in Beirut has strongly recommended its citizens avoid traveling to Lebanon, citing a "serious and complex" security situation. The embassy urged Chinese nationals already in the country to be "extremely vigilant" and prepared for emergencies. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs took a more urgent stance, calling on its citizens to "leave Lebanon immediately."
Ireland's Prime Minister Simon Harris announced on social media that his government now recommends Irish citizens avoid traveling to Lebanon, Israel, and Palestine due to increasing regional instability. Saudi Arabia called on its citizens to leave Lebanon "immediately" on Sunday.
Brazil's embassy in Beirut advised Brazilians living in or transiting through Lebanon to leave "by their own means until the situation normalizes." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the evacuation of Ukrainian nationals from "dangerous areas of Lebanon," stating that 30 Ukrainians, mainly women and children, have already been repatriated.
Other countries issuing similar advisories include Cyprus, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia, and Mexico. Each has urged varying degrees of caution, from avoiding travel to Lebanon to recommending immediate departure for those already in the country.
