US reiterates caution over travel to Lebanon as war looms

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The US has doubled down on its warning against citizens travelling to Lebanon, as the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel risks becoming a full-on war.

Washington’s embassy in Beirut warned citizens “to strongly reconsider travel to Lebanon,” while the security environment “remains complex and can change quickly”.

It came as some US naval assets are being moved closer to Israel and Lebanon for potential military-assisted evacuations of Americans if fighting intensifies, NBC reported, quoting past and present US defence officials.

One of the officials said ships sent to the area would also serve as a deterrent to escalation.

This week, a number of nations have called on their citizen to leave.

Germany and the Netherlands are the latest countries to call for their citizens to depart Lebanon, amid rising tensions between the Lebanese armed group Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel, raising fears of a war.

The European nations joined Canada, North Macedonia and Kuwait in urging their citizens to leave the country amid escalation on the Lebanon-Israel border.

France, a key interlocutor in Lebanon, said it is extremely concerned by the gravity of the situation.

The US embassy in Beirut had this month already advised its citizens to avoid travel to the Lebanon-Israel border area, the Lebanon-Syria border area and refugee settlements.

The embassy issued a reminder on Thursday, urging citizens to “strongly reconsider travel to Lebanon”.

Hezbollah-Israel

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said on Thursday it fired “dozens” of rockets at a military base in northern Israel in retaliation for Israeli air strikes.

Four of its fighters had been killed, it said.

“In response to the enemy attacks that targeted the city of Nabatiyeh and village of Sohmor”, Hezbollah fighters bombed “the main air and missile defence base of the [Israeli] northern area command … with dozens of Katyusha rockets”, according to a statement.

An Israeli military statement said about “35 launches were identified crossing from Lebanon”.

Air defences “successfully intercepted most of the launches. No injuries were reported,” it added.

Updated: June 28, 2024, 10:17 AM