UK charters flight for British nationals to leave Lebanon
The UK government has arranged a commercial flight from Lebanon to help British nationals fleeing the ongoing conflict, as announced by the foreign secretary.
David Lammy described the situation as “volatile,” warning it could “deteriorate quickly,” shortly before Israel revealed the initiation of a “localized and targeted” ground operation in southern Lebanon.
British nationals, along with their spouses or partners and children under 18, are eligible for the flight, with vulnerable individuals given priority.
The flight is set to depart from Beirut on Wednesday, following new Israeli air strikes in the area overnight.
Last week, estimates suggested there were between 4,000 and 6,000 UK nationals, including dependents, in Lebanon.
While the UK government will cover the cost of chartering the flight from Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, British nationals will need to pay a fee of £350 per seat.
British nationals and their dependents can request a spot on the flight. Non-British dependents will need a visa valid for at least six months to enter the UK.
The Foreign Office stated that any additional flights in the coming days will depend on demand and the security situation on the ground.
“The safety of British nationals in Lebanon continues to be our utmost priority,” Lammy stressed.
Speaking to reporters, he added: “I urge them to leave because the situation on the ground is fast-moving and of course, whilst we will do everything we can to protect British nationals, and those plans are in place to do so, we cannot anticipate the circumstances and the speed with we can do that if things escalate in a major way over the coming hours and days.”
A few hours later the Israeli military said a “limited, localized and targeted” ground operation was underway against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group which dominates the country.
Air strikes hit a southern suburb of Beirut after the Israeli military warned residents there to evacuate.
The Israeli government says its military operation aims to enable 60,000 displaced Israelis to return to their homes. Hezbollah says its fighters are ready to confront an Israeli invasion.
According to officials in Lebanon, more than 1,000 people have been killed in the past two weeks, while up to a million may now be displaced.
Lammy and his US counterpart Antony Blinken spoke by phone on Monday. He said they had seen the media reports and were both urging “de-escalation”.
He added the UK would be keeping in touch with Iran and reiterated the call for a 21-day ceasefire to enhance the prospect of a political solution.
His comments come after Sir Keir Starmer last week told British nationals in Lebanon to “leave immediately” as fighting intensified between Israel and Hezbollah.
Britons had previously been advised to book flights out of the country – but there were limited options available, with most airlines except the national carrier had canceled flights.
The Ministry of Defence has sent nearly 700 troops to nearby Cyprus to prepare for the possible evacuation of British nationals from Lebanon and the government “continues to advise against all travel to Lebanon”.
Tensions have been growing across the Middle East since Hamas gunmen attacked Israel on 7 October last year, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 others as hostages.
The Israel military campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas attack has killed more than 41,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Previously sporadic fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalated on 8 October – the day after Hamas’s unprecedented attack. Hezbollah fired at Israeli positions, in solidarity with Hamas.
Hezbollah has launched more than 8,000 rockets at northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. It has also fired anti-tank missiles at armoured vehicles and attacked military targets with explosive drones.
Families of hostages in Gaza held a news conference in London, along with the relatives of other British-Israelis killed on 7 October, following a memorial event at Downing Street.
They said they felt let down and called on the government to do more to free their relatives. Earlier, they met Sir Keir and Lammy.
