Editor-DN
Western countries are stepping up emergency plans to evacuate civilians from Lebanon after a sharp escalation in the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which was accompanied by Iran’s missile attacks on Israel on Tuesday. .
No country has yet begun a mass military evacuation, although some are chartering planes as Beirut airport remains open. Plans to evacuate Cyprus by sea will enable the movement of large groups.
Here are the details of the emergency plan:
Australia
Its contingency plans could include evacuation by sea, although authorities in Lebanon have urged an estimated 15,000 civilians to leave while Beirut’s airport remains open.
Belgium
The Belga news agency said that the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised citizens to leave as soon as possible.
Canada
Canadian news suggests it will cooperate with Australia in evacuating citizens by sea. The Toronto Star newspaper said the plan involved contracting a commercial ship to carry 1,000 people a day.
Cyprus
The EU member state closest to the Middle East is a potential hub for evacuations, having processed nearly 60,000 people fleeing the Hezbollah-Israeli war in 2006. Neighboring Turkey has also offered facilities.
Cyprus has asked Greece to provide a plane that can be used to evacuate its citizens who want to leave. There are an estimated 1,500 Cypriots in Lebanon.
France
France did not issue an evacuation order despite planning it for months. Current emergency planning centers on Cyprus and Beirut airport, while it is also discussing evacuation via Turkey. France has a warship in the region, while a French helicopter carrier will arrive in the eastern Mediterranean in the coming days and take up positions should a decision be made to evacuate foreign nationals from Lebanon.
Germany
Germany has evacuated non-essential staff, families of embassy workers and German citizens who are medically vulnerable from Lebanon and others trying to leave, the foreign and defense ministries said in a joint statement on Monday. will help
Greece
The Greek Foreign Ministry has urged its citizens to leave Lebanon and avoid any travel there, with a frigate on standby in case assistance is needed.
Italy
Italy has reduced diplomatic staff and increased security personnel at its embassy in Beirut. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has repeatedly urged citizens to leave the country and has asked Israel to guarantee the safety of Italian peacekeepers in the area.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands will deport its citizens from Lebanon, Dutch news agency ANP said on Tuesday.
Poland
Poland will limit the number of staff at its Beirut embassy, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday, adding that Warsaw would arrange transport for citizens wishing to leave Lebanon.
Portugal
Prime Minister Luis Montenegro has advised against travel to Lebanon, which helped evacuate a small number of Portuguese citizens living there.
Turkey
Turkey is preparing for the possible evacuation of Turks from Lebanon by air and sea, and is working with about 20 countries to prepare their ports and airports for the possible evacuation of foreign nationals via Turkey. About 14,000 Turkish citizens were registered in the Lebanese consulate, but this number was not exact.
United Kingdom
Britain has appealed to citizens to leave immediately. It has moved around 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 for Britons wishing to leave on Wednesday and will be flown directly back to London.
The United States
The United States has ordered dozens of troops stationed in Cyprus to help prepare for situations such as an American withdrawal from Lebanon. The State Department said Tuesday it was working with airlines to add flights out of Lebanon with more seats for Americans.
(Other than the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
