Americans Urged to Leave Lebanon as Israel, Hezbollah Trade Fire

People look at flight information boards at the Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, on July 28, 2024. Mohamed Azakir/Reuters

The U.S. government has updated a travel advisory urging all citizens in Lebanon to depart while commercial flights are still available amid signs that tensions between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel could escalate further.

In an update issued on Sept. 21, the U.S. Department of State stressed that the “unpredictable nature” of the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, and recent explosions throughout Lebanon, including in the capital city of Beirut, may significantly hinder Americans’ ability to safely leave the country.

Several major airlines have postponed or canceled flights in and out of Beirut and Israel’s Tel Aviv airports in the wake of the deadly explosions of pagers belonging to Hezbollah members this week, with some airlines suspending operations well into next year. The State Department warned that further disruptions to air travel are likely.

“At this time, commercial flights are available but at reduced capacity,” the federal agency said. “If the security situation worsens, commercial options to depart may become unavailable.”

The State Department advised that those who decide to remain in Lebanon prepare to shelter in place if conditions “deteriorate further,” noting that in such a scenario, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut might not be able to help them.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sept. 20 that a targeted strike had killed Ibrahim Aqil, a member of Hezbollah’s highest military body, the Jihad Council, since 2008, and head of the elite Radwan Forces. Aqil was believed to be behind the 1983 suicide bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, which killed 63 people, and the bombing of a U.S. Marine compound in Beirut, which killed 241 people later that year.

In a follow-up on Sept. 21, the IDF confirmed that 15 other Hezbollah terrorists were also killed in the strike, including senior commanders in the Radwan Force chain of command.

“At the time of the strike, Aqil and the commanders of the Radwan Forces were gathered underground, under a residential building in the heart of the Dahieh in Beirut, hiding among Lebanese civilians, using them as human shields,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said.

Aqil, 61, was the second high-ranking Hezbollah commander to be killed in an Israeli airstrike in the terrorist group’s stronghold in southern Beirut.

In retaliation, Hezbollah launched a barrage of more than 100 rockets targeting northern Israel on Sept. 21, to which Israel responded with an airstrike in southern Lebanon. As of late on Sept. 21, the IDF reported the destruction of about 180 Hezbollah targets and thousands of launcher barrels, which it described as “ready for immediate use against Israeli civilians.”

“The IDF will continue operating to dismantle and degrade Hezbollah’s capabilities and terrorist infrastructure,” it said.

The latest exchange marks an escalation in fighting between Hezbollah and Israel since Oct. 8, 2023, when they began regularly trading fire after Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, triggering the ongoing war in Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

On July 30, Israel reported launching an airstrike that killed Fuad Shukr, a founding member of Hezbollah’s armed wing. Shukr was blamed for an earlier rocket attack that killed 12 children in the Israel-controlled Golan Heights.

The State Department upgraded its travel advisory for Lebanon to level 4, “Do Not Travel,” on July 31, citing “rising tensions between [Hezbollah] and Israel.” The advisory remains in effect.