The UK Government is doing “everything we can” to help Britons flee Lebanon, Downing Street has said.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy chaired a ministerial meeting of the Cobra emergency committee on Monday to discuss the crisis.
Strikes in Lebanon by Israel have killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and many other top commanders as the risk of a wider conflict grew.
The militant group responded by saying it is ready to fight should Israel launch a ground offensive, with fears mounting that the escalating hostilities could result in a full-scale regional war.
There are an estimated 5,000 British citizens in Lebanon and the Government says it is working on “all contingency options”.
British military assets have been deployed to Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean in case an evacuation is required, although ministers and officials have stressed that Britons should leave immediately.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Sir Keir Starmer has been “very, very clear” that British nationals “should leave now, particularly whilst commercial flights are still available”.
British nationals in Lebanon should leave now. You should take the next available flight.
We are working to increase capacity and secure seats for British nationals to leave.
British nationals in Lebanon should register your presence to receive the latest information:… pic.twitter.com/6wJ2Khv3gM
— Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) September 27, 2024
The spokesman told reporters: “We’re doing everything we can to work with commercial airlines to maximise capacity because we want people to leave, and I understand that there have been extra Middle East Airlines flights leaving Lebanon over the weekend, another scheduled for Tuesday, and we have secured seats for British nationals on those flights.”
It is understood around 15 spaces for British nationals were secured on a flight which arrived on Sunday, and a further 40 on the flight due to leave on Tuesday.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “What we’re focused on at the moment is securing extra spaces on commercial flights for those who do want to leave and reiterating our calls for those to leave and to register their presence with us and book the first available flights.
“We’re also working to send a rapid deployment team to bolster the efforts of our embassy in supporting British nationals who want to leave.”
Asked why an evacuation of UK nationals has not started, the spokesman said: “We’ve been clear, whilst there are commercial flights available, British nationals can, and indeed should, leave.”
The spokesman also pointed to the deployment of 700 troops, alongside Border Force and Foreign Office officials, to Cyprus to continue work on “all contingency options and plan for a range of scenarios in the region”.
He also said weapons export licences are held under “constant review” when responding to questions about the UK’s arms sales to Israel amid a potential escalation of the country’s attacks on Lebanon.
Asked if the UK would provide aid to Israel as was the case after it was attacked by Iran, the spokesman said: “Clearly we stood with Israel previously.
“We do repeatedly say that Israel has the right to defend itself, but our focus now is on a ceasefire, and we call on all sides to show restraint, to step back from the brink and avoid any further escalation.”
