US Urges Citizens to Leave Lebanon as Regional Tensions Soar

People with their luggage wait at a bus stop in the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona to be evacuated to a safer location, on Oct. 22, 2023. Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. citizens in Lebanon have been urged by the U.S. State Department to leave the country while commercial flights remain available, because of the unpredictable security situation in the Middle East.

“The best time to leave a country is before a crisis if at all possible,” the department said in an Oct. 27 statement. “U.S. military-assisted evacuations of civilians from a foreign country are rare.”

The statement advised people who need to leave Lebanon to explore flight options at the Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport.

“There is no guarantee the U.S. government will evacuate private U.S. citizens and their family members in a crisis situation,” the statement reads. “In the event that a U.S. military-assisted evacuation does occur, our focus will be on helping U.S. citizens. The U.S. government generally cannot provide in-country transportation during a crisis. That includes transportation to points of departure.”

The department also advised U.S. citizens in Lebanon to “exercise caution, monitor the news closely for breaking developments that could affect internal security, and factor updated information into ... travel plans and activities.”

Citizens who want government assistance to depart Lebanon must indicate their interest by submitting a crisis intake form.

This alert is a continuation of a warning issued a week ago that escalated a previous security advisory cautioning Americans against traveling to the West Asian country.

Israel–Hamas War Could Spread to Lebanon

Conflict has escalated along the northern Israeli border, where Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah have engaged in clashes.

On Oct. 23, Israeli aircraft conducted airstrikes on two Hezbollah terrorist cells in Lebanon that were plotting to launch anti-tank missiles and rockets toward Israel. The Israeli military stated that this action was in response to Hezbollah’s ongoing presence in the demilitarized zone along the Lebanese–Israeli border.

“This area is supposed to be free from illegal weapons, which is U.N. language for Hezbollah weapons,” Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said. “They’re not even supposed to be there, but they clearly are. They have freedom of movement. They have taken many opportunities to attack Israeli civilians and soldiers.”

What’s Hezbollah

Josh Lipowsky, senior research analyst at the Counter Extremism Project, told The Epoch Times: “Hezbollah has successfully embedded itself into every aspect of Lebanese society—politically, economically, socially, and militarily.

“Hezbollah is the strongest military force in the country and holds enough sway in the parliament that it can hold the country hostage by freezing government processes.”

Beginning as a covert militia, Hezbollah has since emerged as a prominent political player in Lebanon, amassing a vast arsenal over the span of four decades.

During their meeting in Beirut on Oct. 12, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah discussed the war between Hamas and Israel.

Mr. Amir-Abdollahian told reporters after the meeting that Hezbollah is ready to respond to Israel, per The Times of Israel.

With Israel’s initiation of the ground phase of its war against Hamas on Oct. 28, the question of whether it'll expand to Israel’s north is being examined.

So far, Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group has remained ambivalent about whether it'll join Hamas in attacking Israel.

“If Hezbollah decides to enter the war, it will long for the Second Lebanon War,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, referencing Israel’s 2006 war with Lebanon. “It will be making the mistake of its life.”

In 2006, the Second Lebanon War was fought when Hezbollah attacked the IDF, killing three soldiers and abducting two. The remains of the two captured soldiers were returned to Israel in 2008.

Israeli officials estimate that Hezbollah has 150,000 rockets, including Iranian-made long-range missiles with a precise targeting capability.

Reporter Jackson Richman contributed to this report.