LONDON – The British government has been securing extra flights for UK nationals to make their way out of Lebanon, as ministers continued to urge citizens still in the country to “leave now”.
Official advice has been warning British nationals to leave the country for months, said the Guardian. But with the escalation of tension following the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanese Hezbollah, there have been fresh appeals to Brits to urgently secure a place on a flight.
Commercial flights are still operating and Foreign Office officials have been working to increase the number available for British nationals. There have also been appeals for them to register their presence in the country with the government.
The embassy is also being aided by an emergency team attempting to make contact with British people known to be in the country. Official advice to leave the country has actually been in place since October last year, citing the risks arising for the conflict taking place in Gaza.
The latest government assessment states that “tensions are high and events could escalate with little warning, which could affect or limit exit routes out of Lebanon”.
Many airlines stopped flying to Lebanon as Israel intensified its offensive, and the few flights still leaving Beirut are sold out. But not all the Britons in Beirut want to leave.
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