Britain urges nationals to leave Lebanon as Israel-Hezbollah tensions escalate

Britain has announced that its nationals should leave Lebanon and continued to advise against all travel to the country amid the escalating tensions between Hezbollah and Isarel, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said on Tuesday.

"The Government continues to prepare its contingency plans following significant escalation between Israel and Lebanon in recent days," the office said in a statement.

“Events in the past hours and days have demonstrated how volatile this situation is, which is why our message is clear: British nationals should leave now,” Defence Secretary John Healey said.

Healey then reiterated Britain’s call for a ceasefire.

“We continue to urge all sides to step back from conflict to prevent further tragic loss of life. Our government is ensuring all preparations are in place to support British Nationals should the situation deteriorate. I want to thank the British personnel who are deploying in the region for their commitment and professionalism," Healey said.

"We are ramping up the contingency plans. I think you'd expect that in light of the escalation,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

Additional troops

According to the BBC, the Ministry of Defense is sending 700 troops to Cyprus to assist in evacuating nationals, and the Royal Air Force aircraft and transport helicopters are on standby to provide support.