Government Charters Flight to Get Britons out of Lebanon

Smoke rises over Beirut's southern suburbs after a strike, amid ongoing hostilities between the Hezbollah terrorist group and Israeli forces, as seen from Sin El Fil, Lebanon, on Oct. 1, 2024. Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters

The government has chartered a commercial flight to evacuate British citizens from Lebanon after Israel said it had begun “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids” against Hezbollah in the south of the country.

British nationals and their dependents will be able to catch the flight from Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Any further flights will depend on demand and the security situation on the ground, the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) said in a statement on Monday.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the situation in Lebanon had become volatile and there is potential for the situation to deteriorate quickly.

“The safety of British nationals in Lebanon continues to be our utmost priority,” Lammy said.

He continued: “That’s why the UK government is chartering a flight to help those wanting to leave. It is vital that you leave now as further evacuation may not be guaranteed.”

In a separate video message posted to social media platform X on Tuesday, Lammy reiterated his calls for Britons to secure a seat, saying: “The UK government is providing an option for you to leave now. My message is clear: take it.”

The government said it had been working with partners in recent weeks to secure capacity on commercial flights and this flight was chartered to ensure additional availability.

Last week, military teams comprising around 700 British troops moved to Cyprus, along with FCDO and Border Force officials as part of contingency plans to support British nationals in the region.

The FCDO said on Monday that a Rapid Deployment Team has also arrived in Lebanon to support British Embassy officials.

Israel Targets Hezbollah

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in the early hours of Tuesday morning that their ground forces had crossed into southern Lebanon on Monday to conduct “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids“ against Hezbollah terrorist targets and infrastructure.

The IDF said these targets are close to the border and “pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”

Israel commenced military action against Hezbollah after the Iranian-backed terror group began firing rockets into northern Israel from southern Lebanon a day after Hamas’s deadly Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack.

The conflict steadily intensified over the past year, with the Jewish state vowing to push back Hezbollah from its border so Israelis could return to their homes.

In recent weeks, Israeli forces have taken out several Hezbollah senior figures, most recently Nabil Qaouk, the commander of Hezbollah’s Preventative Security Unit, and the terrorist group’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

Israel has also conducted strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Sept. 29. Like Hezbollah and Hamas, the Houthis are backed by Iran.

The IDF said it hit targets in the port city of Hodeida, including a seaport and power plants used by the Houthis to transfer oil, Iranian weapons, and military supplies to the area. The strike came after Israel intercepted a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis, targetting Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv.

Calls for Ceasefire

Last week, the UK joined allies including the United States and France in calling for the governments of Israel and Lebanon to endorse a 21-day ceasefire, as well as calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Starmer told the U.N. Security Council that he was worried about escalation in the region, saying: “I’m calling for all parties to step back from the brink, to de-escalate. We need a ceasefire so this can be sorted out diplomatically.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (centre) with Foreign Secretary David Lammy (centre left) attend the Security Council during the 79th United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States, on Sept. 25, 2024. Leon Neal/PA Wire

Hezbollah is a Shia Muslim political and paramilitary faction established in the 1980s during the Lebanese civil war. It is designated in its entirety as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, the Gulf Co-operation Council, and Bahrain.