The US State Department on Saturday again urged US citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial flights are still available, world agencies reported. This is happening against the background of escalating fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant movement Hezbollah. Israel’s military said it hit more than 400 Hezbollah-linked targets in Lebanon on Saturday. Sirens warning of a rocket attack were sounded in northern Israel overnight, according to The Times of Israel (ToI), the attack was heard reflecting off Israel’s air defense system. According to the Israeli Medical Service, a man in his 60s was slightly injured.
“Due to the unpredictable nature of the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel and the recent explosions in Lebanon, including Beirut, the United States Embassy urges US citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial options are available,” the US State Department said in an updated advisory. “Currently, commercial flights are available, but with limited capacity. If the security situation worsens, commercial departure options may be unavailable,” it added. At the same time, it called on citizens to “immediately” leave southern Lebanon and areas near the border with Syria.
In late July, the United States tightened travel warnings for Lebanon and advised citizens not to travel there. This happened after an Israeli attack in which a high-ranking Hezbollah official was killed in southern Beirut. On Friday, Israel again carried out strikes in southern Beirut, killing, among others, Ahmad Mahmoud Vahbi, who commanded Hezbollah’s special forces, called Radwan, from October to the beginning of the year.
The Czech Republic called on its citizens to leave Lebanon in view of the security situation as early as last October, following the escalation of tensions following terrorist attacks by Hamas on the territory of Israel and the Israeli offensive in the Palestinian Gaza Strip. In its advisory, which is still valid, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns against all travel to the country. Citizens of the Czech Republic who are still staying in Lebanon are urged to make sure they have valid travel documents and insurance, and then leave the country as soon as possible. Similar to American diplomacy, it warns that “a possible further deterioration of the situation may lead to a sudden interruption of air traffic connections from the country”.
Israel’s air force said it struck about 290 Hezbollah targets, including launchers and “other terrorist infrastructure” in southern Lebanon, as of Saturday afternoon. On Saturday evening, the Israeli military reported that it had struck another 110 Hezbollah positions in several locations in southern Lebanon.
Sirens warning of a rocket attack rang out in northern Israel last night. According to the Israeli military, most of the rockets were shot down by air defenses. According to medics, one man in his 60s was slightly injured by shrapnel after one of the rockets was shot down. According to ToI, this is Hezbollah’s deepest attack on Israeli territory since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip last October.
Hezbollah and the Israeli army have been conducting cross-border attacks against each other practically every day since October 8 last year. Hezbollah then began attacking northern Israel in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is waging a war against Hamas in retaliation for its October 7 terrorist attack.
Source: www.tyden.cz
