UK Citizens Urged to Evacuate Lebanon as Military Deploys to Assist Embassies
According to the Foreign Office, Border Force officers are on standby to assist with consular operations.
In response to escalating tensions in the Middle East, military personnel and consular experts have been deployed to aid British nationals in the region. Foreign Secretary David Lammy has urged UK citizens in Lebanon to leave immediately due to heightened tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
Armed forces personnel are en route to provide operational support to embassies assisting British nationals, with Border Force officers prepared to aid consular operations. Additionally, consular experts have been brought in to handle queries from UK citizens.
The Royal Air Force has transport helicopters on stand-by, and landing ships RFA Cardigan Bay and HMS Duncan are already positioned in the Mediterranean to support humanitarian efforts. Lammy emphasized the urgency of the situation, warning that tensions could rapidly escalate.
The government is bracing for various conflict scenarios, with Defense Secretary John Healey affirming the armed forces’ commitment to supporting British citizens and regional stability. He stressed the need for de-escalation and a diplomatic resolution in the region.
Following visits to Qatar and Lebanon, Healey and Lammy have called for a ceasefire, release of hostages, and increased aid to Palestine. Recent events, such as the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the Hezbollah rocket attack in the Golan Heights, have heightened tensions in the region.
Further unrest was sparked by an Israeli air strike in Beirut targeting a Hezbollah commander, escalating tensions along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.
