The U.S Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, has urged all Americans to leave Lebanon immediately amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
It noted that the U.S. government has added thousands of seats to accommodate American citizens and their family members since Sept. 27 but the capacity on those commercial flights has mostly gone unused. Officials warned that the additional flights will not continue indefinitely.
The security alert for Americans was updated amid escalating conflict in the region.
An Israeli airstrike on Oct. 14 hit an apartment building in northern Lebanon. The attack killed at least 21 people, according to the Lebanese Red Cross.
The strike occurred the day after a Hezbollah drone attack on an army base in northern Israel killed four soldiers and injured several more.
“It is part of the broader adjustment the U.S. military has made in recent months to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias,” according to a statement by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
The United States has called for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
“Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Lebanon,” the advisory reads. “Terrorists may conduct attacks with little or no warning targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities.”
The travel advisory also reiterated the importance of contingency plans for those Americans who choose not to leave.
A U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon has been caught in the crosshairs of war. Their presence in southern Lebanon has been mandated by the U.N. Security Council.
The United Nations on Oct. 13 revealed that the entrance door of a U.N. position was “deliberately breached” by armored vehicles that belong to the Israel Defense Forces.
The U.N. has confirmed that a number of peacekeepers have been injured in the ongoing violence.
