Israel’s ground incursion of southern Lebanon has raised fears of an all-out war in the Middle East, forcing many countries to announce plans to evacuate their nationals from the country.Tuesday’s missile attack on Israel by Iran, which counts Hezbollah as a major ally, has further raised the spectre of a wider war.
The Israeli military has ordered more evacuations in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, as its troops were engaged in battles with Hezbollah fighters in the country’s south.
Nearly a million people have been forced to flee their homes and more than 1,000 Lebanese have been killed since Israel escalated its attacks on the country last month.
Many foreign embassies are using their X accounts and other social media platforms to communicate guidelines and travel advisories for their respective citizens.
Here are the countries that have asked their citizens to leave Lebanon and other measures they have taken so far.
More than 1,000 Lebanese people have been killed since Israel escalated its attacks on the country mid-September. [Hassan Ammar/AP Photo]
United States
In a recent X post, the US Embassy in Beirut communicated a Level 4 travel advisory – “Do not travel” – the highest that can be issued from the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular. It states: “This is the highest advisory level due to greater likelihood of life-threatening risks.”
The US in the first week of August had asked its citizens to use commercial flights to leave the country as Israel started to strike deep into Lebanon.
According to 2022 estimates, roughly 86,000 US citizens reside in Lebanon.
Australia
Prime Minister Anth …
