The UK Foreign Office on Tuesday (September 24) urged British nationals to leave Lebanon and advised against traveling to the country. As Israel and Lebanon continue to exchange fire, international airlines have been suspending flights to Beirut.
“In light of the recent significant escalation between Israel and Lebanon, the government is continuing preparations for contingency plans, with approximately 700 British military personnel set to be moved to Cyprus in the coming hours,” said the UK Foreign Office.
Earlier on Tuesday, Israel vowed to continue its airstrikes targeting all locations where Hezbollah hides weapons. In two days of intense airstrikes, Israel eliminated much of Hezbollah’s leadership. According to data from the Lebanese Health Ministry, Israeli airstrikes on Monday resulted in over 550 fatalities in Lebanon.
Currently, Israel has shifted its focus to the northern border with Lebanon. With the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza for nearly a year, Iran-backed Hezbollah has been firing at Israel from Lebanon daily in support of their ally Hamas.
In recent weeks, more and more international airlines have been suspending flights to Lebanon.
Emirates, based in the UAE, announced on Tuesday and Wednesday the temporary suspension of flights to Beirut. Its sister airline, flydubai, also canceled flights to Beirut during the same period.
Emirates stated in a release, “The safety of our crew and customers is of utmost importance and will not be compromised.”
Qatar Airways, which operates two flights to the Lebanese capital daily, has also suspended services for two days.
“Due to the current situation in Lebanon, Qatar Airways has temporarily stopped flights to and from Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut until September 25,” the company stated in a release.
Air France extended the suspension of its Beirut flights to October 1 on Tuesday. A spokesperson informed AFP that this decision was made due to the “security situation.”
Lufthansa has suspended flights to Beirut until October 26. On Tuesday, the airline also extended the suspension of flights between Tel Aviv and the Iranian capital, Tehran, to October 14 in response to the tense situation.