British nationals should leave Lebanon immediately, Defence Secretary John Healey has said, amid rising concern about the possibility of a wider war in the Middle East.
There is increasing concern in the West over increasing hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
Hezbollah had vowed to exact “just punishment” on Israel for what it called its “sinful aggression” after the attacks on its fighters through pagers and walkie-talkies rigged with explosives.
Ministers continue to call for a ceasefire immediately to end the cycle of violence, as more than 500 people killed in Lebanon in the past 24 hours.
The news came as Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, flew from his party’s conference in Liverpool to New York City to address the United Nations general assembly later this week.
The UK Government said on Tuesday night that military teams were now moving to Cyprus as contingency planning is rolled out to support British nationals in Lebanon and the region.
Around 700 UK troops will move to Cyprus in the coming hours, as the Government begins the first phase of its contingency plans following significant escalation between Israel and Lebanon in recent days.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said: “Events in the past hours and days have demonstrated how volatile this situation is, which is why our message is clear, British nationals should leave now.
“We continue to urge all sides to step back from conflict to prevent further tragic loss of life. Our government is ensuring all preparations are in place to support British Nationals should the situation deteriorate.
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“I want to thank the British personnel who are deploying in the region for their commitment and professionalism.”
The military teams will be supported by Border Force and FCDO officials.
The UK already has a significant diplomatic and military footprint in the region, including RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and Royal Navy ships RFA Mounts Bay and HMS Duncan, which have remained in the eastern Mediterranean to support British nationals and allies over the summer.
The Royal Air Force also has aircraft and transport helicopters on standby to provide support if necessary.
The call comes after the Defence Secretary held a meeting with Ministers, intelligence chiefs and diplomats on Tuesday afternoon to test government planning.
Speaking en route to New York for a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, Sir Keir Starmer told Britons in Lebanon: “Now is the time to leave.”
He said: “The most important message from me this evening is to British nationals in Lebanon, to leave immediately and I just want to reinforce that.
“Yes, we are ramping up the contingency plans, I think that you would expect that in light of the escalation.
“But it is important that we be really, really clear: now is the time to leave.
“More broadly, I am worried about the situation and I think we need to be clear we need de-escalation, we need a ceasefire, we need to pull back from the brink.
“I think that will be amongst the first topics we discuss in New York.”
Source Agencies
