The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon urged American citizens to leave Lebanon “as soon as possible” amid fears that the Israel–Hamas conflict will spill over into other countries and as the Iran-backed Hezbollah group has increasingly sent warnings.
The American embassy in Beirut stated that U.S. citizens should depart the country “while commercial options are still available“ and for those choosing not to depart the country, they should ”prepare contingency plans for emergency situations.”
“If you have not already done so, please complete the crisis intake form to provide contact information should we need to reach out to you on short notice,” it said in a bulletin that was sent out to American citizens in the broader Middle East region. “Please also be aware that the U.S. government has authorized the departure of family members of U.S. government personnel and some non-emergency personnel on a case-by-case basis from Mission Israel and Lebanon.”
The State Department has updated its travel advisory to Lebanon to a Level 4, saying that American citizens should not travel to the country.
Israel has issued evacuation orders for areas close to its northern border with Lebanon amid attacks from Hezbollah, a State Department-designated terrorist organization that has long been backed by Iran. Some demonstrations have also been held across Lebanon by Hezbollah, including one close to the embassy in Beirut on Wednesday, according to reports.
Also on Thursday, the United Kingdom also updated its travel advisories and told citizens to also leave Lebanon as soon as possible. Authorities in France, Canada, Australia, and Sweden have also warned their citizens against non-essential trips to Lebanon in recent days.
That same U.S. embassy bulletin also noted that for Americans in Israel, flights out of Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv are limited. The U.S. State Department is facilitating flights out of the country and is urging “those wishing to leave to take advantage of these charters while they are available,” it said, adding that departures will continue until at least Oct. 22.
Americans in Gaza, however, are faced with a more dire situation as U.S. officials are trying to work on possible means to depart the region for citizens trapped there.
“We have U.S. government officials working 24/7 to try to assist,” the bulletin said. “If you have not already done so, please complete the crisis intake form to provide contact information should we need to reach out to you on short notice.”It comes as President Joe Biden traveled to Israel on Wednesday to pledge support to Jerusalem and also promised a deal to get humanitarian aid to Gaza from Egypt.
“I understand. Many Americans understand,” the president said as he wrapped up his visit in Tel Aviv, likening the Oct. 7 Hamas assault to the attacks against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, that killed nearly 3,000 people.
“You can’t look at what has happened here ... and not scream out for justice,” he said. “But I caution this: While you feel that rage, don’t be consumed by it,” he added. “After 9/11, we were enraged in the United States. And while we sought justice and got justice, we also made mistakes.”
President Biden urged Israel to step back from the brink, not just to ease growing tensions in the Mideast that threaten to spiral into a broader regional conflict, but also to reassure a world rattled by images of carnage and suffering, in Israel and Gaza alike. One million people have been displaced in roughly 10 days, according to the United Nations.
The Biden administration plans to ask Congress for more than $2 billion in combined additional aid for Israel and Ukraine. Biden on Wednesday also announced $100 million in aid to Gaza and the West Bank.
Allowing aid into the region had been seen by U.S. officials as a critical step toward the cooling of tensions in Arab nations after the blast at the hospital, which had been treating wounded Palestinians and sheltering many more who were seeking refuge from the fighting.
There were conflicting claims about who was responsible.
President Biden said data from his Defense Department showed that the explosion was not likely caused by an airstrike by the Israeli military. A White House National Security Council spokesperson followed up later with a post on social media that an analysis of “overhead imagery, intercepts and open source information” showed Israel was not behind the attack. But the U.S. continues to collect evidence.
Officials in Gaza, however, said that it was Israel who was behind the hospital explosion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
