The US and UK have issued warnings to their nationals to immediately leave Lebanon amid fears of a wider escalation with Israel.
The US Embassy in Beirut said on Sunday some flights by several airlines have been cancelled but “commercial transportation options to leave Lebanon remain available.”
“We encourage those who wish to depart Lebanon to book any ticket available to them, even if that flight does not depart immediately or does not follow their first-choice route,” it said in a statement.
It urged those who decide to remain to “prepare contingency plans for emergencies and be prepared to shelter in place for an extended period.”
The UK emphasised that “the UK continues to advise against all travel to Lebanon and advises British nationals still in the country to leave now while commercial options remain available.”
"Family of officials working at the British Embassy Beirut have been temporarily withdrawn from the region," the UK government said.
France, Canada and Jordan were also among the latest governments to call for their citizens to leave Lebanon.
Following recent developments in the Middle East, airlines from the US, Netherlands, India, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, France and Poland announced they had cancelled some flights to Israel and Lebanon for security reasons.
Lebanon is currently in a state of heightened security and military alert following an Israeli air strike on a southern suburb of Beirut on Tuesday, which resulted in the assassination of senior Hezbollah leader Fuad Shukr.
