Western countries are stepping up contingency plans to evacuate civilians from Lebanon following Iran’s missile attack on Israel on Tuesday as well as a sharp escalation in conflict between Israel and the Lebanese armed movement Hezbollah.
Neither country has yet initiated a large-scale military evacuation, although some are chartering planes as Beirut airport remains open. The evacuation plan to Cyprus by sea will allow the movement of large groups.
Here are details on the contingency plan:
Australia
Its contingency plans may include evacuation by sea, although authorities have urged the estimated 15,000 civilians in Lebanon to leave, while Beirut airport will remain open.
belgium
The Belgian Foreign Ministry has advised citizens to leave as soon as possible, the Belga news agency said.
Canada
News reports from Canada suggest it will cooperate with Australia in evacuating civilians by sea. The Toronto Star newspaper said the plan involved contracting a commercial ship to transport 1,000 people a day.
cyprus
The EU member state closest to the Middle East is a potential hub for evacuations, having processed some 60,000 people fleeing the Hezbollah-Israel war in 2006. Neighboring Turkey has also offered facilities.
Cyprus has asked Greece to provide an aircraft which can be used to evacuate its citizens wishing to leave. There are an estimated 1,500 Cypriots in Lebanon.
France
Despite months of planning, France has not issued an evacuation order. Current contingency planning focuses on Cyprus and Beirut airport, while it is also discussing evacuation through Türkiye. France has a warship in the area, while a French helicopter carrier will arrive in the eastern Mediterranean in the coming days and take over the situation in case a decision is made to evacuate foreign nationals from Lebanon.
Germany
Germany has evacuated non-essential workers, families of embassy staff and medically vulnerable German citizens from Lebanon and is providing assistance to others trying to escape, the foreign and defense ministries said in a joint statement on Monday. Will do.
Greece
The Greek Foreign Ministry has urged its citizens to leave Lebanon and avoid any travel there, with a warship on standby in case assistance is needed.
Italy
Italy has cut diplomatic staff and increased security personnel at its Beirut embassy. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has repeatedly urged citizens to leave the country and sought assurances from Israel on the safety of Italian peacekeepers in the area.
Netherlands
The Netherlands will repatriate its citizens from Lebanon, Dutch news agency ANP said on Tuesday.
poland
Poland will limit the number of staff at its Beirut embassy, ​​with Warsaw arranging transportation for citizens wishing to leave Lebanon, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.
portugal
Prime Minister LuÃs Montenegro has advised against traveling to Lebanon, leading to the evacuation of some Portuguese citizens living there.
turkey
Turkey is prepared for the possible evacuation of Turks from Lebanon via air and sea and is working with about 20 countries to prepare their ports and airports for the possible evacuation of foreign nationals through Turkey. There were approximately 14,000 Turkish citizens registered at the consulate in Lebanon, but the number was not certain.
united kingdom
Britain has urged citizens to leave immediately. It has moved about 700 troops to Cyprus, bolstering its military assets, including two Royal Navy ships. It also has two military bases on the island. Britain has chartered a flight to help meet any additional demand from Britons wanting to leave on Wednesday and will fly them straight back to London.
United States of America
The United States has ordered dozens of troops to be deployed to Cyprus to help prepare for scenarios such as the evacuation of Americans from Lebanon. The State Department said Tuesday it was working with airlines to increase flights from Lebanon with more seats for Americans.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
