Amid escalating tensions in the Middle East following the assassinations of prominent figures in Hezbollah and Hamas, the United Kingdom is preparing for a potential evacuation of its citizens from Lebanon. The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Ministry of Defence issued a statement on Saturday announcing that consular experts, border force officials, and military personnel have been deployed to the region as part of planning for a range of possible conflict scenarios.
The announcement came after the death of Fuad Shukr, a commander in the Lebanese group Hezbollah, in an airstrike earlier this week. Days later, news broke that Ismail Haniey, the head of Hamas’ political bureau, was killed while staying in a guesthouse in Iran. While Israel did not claim responsibility for Haniey’s death, it was widely blamed.
To facilitate a potential evacuation, the British government has also deployed the landing ship RFA Cardigan Bay and HMS Duncan to the eastern Mediterranean, with transport helicopters on standby. Joining India and several other countries, the UK government has repeatedly urged British nationals in Lebanon to leave while commercial options are still available.
France has also issued a similar plea to its citizens, urging them to leave Lebanon as soon as possible due to the highly volatile security context. The French Foreign Ministry estimates that approximately 23,000 French citizens reside in Lebanon, with an additional 10,000 visiting the country last month.
Following suit, Sweden announced the closure of its embassy in Beirut and called upon its nationals to leave the country. Earlier this week, India, Canada, and Australia issued similar advisories, highlighting the growing international concern surrounding the situation in Lebanon.
