The British government has chartered a commercial flight from Lebanon to help British nationals trying to flee the fighting, the Foreign Secretary has announced.
The situation was “volatile” and had the potential to “deteriorate rapidly,” David Lammy said, just hours before Israel announced the start of a “local and targeted” ground operation in southern Lebanon.
British citizens and their spouse or partner, and children under the age of 18 are eligible to fly, with vulnerable people being given priority.
The plane will depart on Wednesday from Beirut, which was hit by new Israeli airstrikes last night.
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The British government will pay to charter the flight, which will depart from Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, but British nationals are expected to pay a fee of £350 per seat.
British citizens and dependents are eligible to apply for a place on the flight. All non-British dependents boarding the flight will need a minimum six-month visa to enter Britain.
Any further flights in the coming days will depend on demand and the security situation on the ground, the Foreign Ministry said.
Last week it was believed there were between 4,000 and 6,000 British nationals, including family members, in Lebanon.
“The safety of British nationals in Lebanon remains our highest priority,” Lammy stressed.
Speaking to reporters, he added: “I urge them to leave because the situation on the ground is changing rapidly and while we will do everything we can to protect British nationals, and plans are in place to do so, we cannot don’t do that. anticipate the circumstances and the speed with which we can do so if things seriously escalate in 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 Iranian-backed armed group that dominates the country.
Airstrikes hit a southern suburb of Beirut after the Israeli army warned residents there to evacuate.
The Israeli government says the aim of its military operation is to enable 60,000 displaced Israelis to return to their homes. Hezbollah says its fighters are ready to face an Israeli invasion.
Officials in Lebanon say more than a thousand people have been killed in the past two weeks, while up to a million people may now be on the run.
Lammy and his American counterpart Antony Blinken spoke by phone on Monday. He said they had seen the media reports and were both calling for “de-escalation”.
He added that Britain would maintain contact with Iran, and reiterated calls for a 21-day ceasefire to boost 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 between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies.
Britons had previously been advised to book flights abroad, but there were limited options available, with most airlines apart from the national carrier having canceled flights.
The Ministry of Defense has sent almost 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 risen in the Middle East since Hamas gunmen attacked Israel on October 7 last year, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage.
More than 41,000 people have been killed in Israel’s military campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas attack, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
Previously sporadic fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalated on October 8, the day after Hamas’ unprecedented attack. Hezbollah fired on 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 armored vehicles and attacked military targets with explosive drones.
FFamilies of hostages in Gaza held a press conference in Londonalong with the relatives of other British-Israelis killed on October 7 after a memorial event in Downing Street.
They said they felt abandoned and called on the government to do more to free their relatives. Previously they met Sir Keir and Lammy.
