Foreign Secretary David Lammy has called on UK citizens to heed government recommendations and depart from Lebanon urgently.
He remarked that the circumstances on the ground are “rapidly evolving” and that officials cannot assure assistance “if the situation escalates significantly in the imminent hours and days.”
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Concerns are rising over increasing aggression in the Middle East following the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Israeli air strikes in Beirut over the weekend.
The Iran-supported insurgent group has indicated its readiness to engage in combat should Israel initiate a ground invasion, leading to apprehensions that the intensifying hostilities could spark a comprehensive regional conflict.
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on Monday. Pic: AP
Mr. Lammy announced that the government has established a rapid response team to assist the estimated 5,000 British nationals in Lebanon, with 700 troops currently positioned in Cyprus and commercial flights arranged to facilitate their return.
On Monday evening, he stated to the media: “Since taking office in July, I have been advising British nationals to exit Lebanon. In fact, the preceding government had been advising UK citizens against traveling to Lebanon since October 2023.”
“Despite that, we dispatched a rapid response team. There are currently 700 troops in Cyprus. We will exhaust all measures to help individuals evacuate. We have arranged seats on commercial flights departing tomorrow for UK nationals to leave.”
Mr. Lammy emphasized the urgency for British nationals in Lebanon to utilize this support without delay, indicating that the government may not be able to safeguard them should the conflict worsen.
When asked what message he has for British nationals who have yet to follow his guidance, he remarked: “I implore them to vacate, as the situation on the ground is rapidly changing.”
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He further stated: “Although we will exert every effort to safeguard British nationals and have made arrangements to do so, we cannot predict the speed with which we may achieve that if the situation escalates significantly in the anticipated hours and days.”
It was revealed today that Israeli special forces are undertaking exploratory operations within Lebanon in preparation for a possible ground assault.
Earlier on Monday, Israel’s defense chief Yoav Gallant cautioned that “the next phase in the conflict against Hezbollah will commence shortly”.
Mr. Lammy mentioned that he spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday evening, expressing that they are both “worried” about the remarks and are calling for de-escalation.
David Lammy urged UK citizens in Lebanon to utilize the available support immediately.
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When asked if military assistance could be dispatched to Israel if it faces an attack from Iran, which supports Hezbollah, the cabinet minister stated he met with the Iranian foreign minister the previous week “and we engaged in a comprehensive discussion, where I naturally advocated for Iran to display restraint”.
“As one would anticipate in the forthcoming hours, we shall maintain contact with Iran,” he asserted.
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When questioned if he concurred with President Joe Biden’s assertion that the elimination of Hassan Nasrallah was a “form of justice”, he responded: “I do not lament the passing of the leader of a designated terrorist group, but I grieve for the innocent lives that have been lost amid the violence in recent days.”
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