BEIRUT: Calls for foreign citizens to leave Lebanon increased on Sunday with France warning of a highly volatile situation after the assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in recent days by Israel.
The situation worsened with the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.
Both Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of orchestrating the killing, which has sparked vows of retaliation and heightened tensions. The situation underscores the growing volatility in the Middle East and the potential for further escalation.
Hezbollah, which has exchanged near-daily fire with Israeli forces since the Gaza war started in October, announced its fighters had fired a barrage of rockets at Israel’s north overnight. The Israeli military said 30 projectiles were launched from Lebanon, with most of them successfully intercepted and destroyed.
Israel on the other hand is on high alert anticipating major military action from Hezbollah and Hamas.
Canada, France and Jordan were among the latest countries to issue calls for their citizens to leave Lebanon.
“In a highly volatile security context,” French nationals were “urgently asked” to avoid traveling to Lebanon, and those already in the country “to make their arrangements now to leave… as soon as possible,” the foreign ministry in Paris said.
The United States and Britain have already issued similar warnings. Several Western airlines have halted their flight operations to the region.
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Qatar Airways on Sunday said that “in light of recent developments in Lebanon,” the Doha-Beirut route “will operate exclusively during daylight hours” at least until Monday.
The Health Ministry in Gaza reported on Sunday that the Israeli military has killed at least 39,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children in the besieged Palestinian enclave and injured 91,398.
The Palestinian Red Crescent has said that it recovered eight bodies from a residential building in north Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp after an Israeli air strike.