Nations including the United Kingdom and Canada have ramped up evacuation plans as Israeli forces launched “ground raids’ in Southern Lebanon.
On October 1, 2024, the Israeli military confirmed that troops had begun a ground offensive against Hezbollah in an operation it is calling “Northern Arrows”.
“In accordance with the decision of the political echelon, a few hours ago, the IDF began limited, localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure in southern Lebanon, a spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) wrote in a statement on X.
The IDF added: “These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”
After much of the international community spent the last week strongly advising its citizens to leave Lebanon, several nations have taken further action as news of an Israeli ground attack seemed imminent.
The UK government is chartering a flight to help British nationals who want to leave Lebanon.
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The UK government is chartering a flight for British nationals in Lebanon on October 2, 2024, from Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY) with priority given to those most vulnerable.
“The situation in Lebanon is volatile and has potential to deteriorate quickly. The safety of British nationals in Lebanon continues to be our utmost priority. That’s why the UK government is chartering a flight to help those wanting to leave. It is vital that you leave now as further evacuation may not be guaranteed,” said British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Canada has announced that it has booked 800 seats on commercial flights leaving Lebanon over the next few days with the next plane scheduled to leave on October 2, 2024.
“If you are a Canadian citizen in Lebanon, you must leave now. If you are offered a seat, take it now,” Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly wrote on X.
On September 30, 2024, the United States (US) said it was not evacuating American citizens “at this point”.
Other nations such as Germany, France and Australia have put in place contingency plans for the safety of their citizens in Lebanon, but it remains to be seen if these change following the most recent escalation in flighting announced by the IDF.
Israel has recently stepped up its offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon with multiple air strikes over the last two weeks, including one that killed its leader Hassan Nasrallah