France Urges Foreign Nationals to Leave Lebanon Amid Volatile Situation
BEIRUT: Urgent calls for foreign nationals to leave Lebanon intensified on August 4 as France warned of a “highly volatile” situation amid expectations of a response from Iran and its allies to high-profile killings attributed to Israel.
Diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing a broader conflict saw France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Jordan’s King Abdullah II agreeing that a regional military escalation must be avoided “at all costs,” according to a statement from the French presidency following a phone call between the leaders. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned that any attacks from Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement would be met with a heavy price.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas has already led to routine violence in the region. On Sunday, the deadliest incident in Gaza occurred when an Israeli strike hit two schools housing displaced people, killing at least 30 individuals, according to the Civil Defence agency. This incident brought the total number of schools hit in Gaza since July 6 to at least 11.
The Israeli army confirmed the strike, stating that Hamas was using the schools. Near Tel Aviv, a stabbing attack by a Palestinian from the Israeli-occupied West Bank resulted in two deaths. The assailant was “neutralised” by police and later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Hezbollah, which has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israeli forces since the Gaza war’s outbreak in October, reported the deaths of two fighters without specifying the location. The Lebanese health ministry reported that an Israeli strike on the southern border village of Hula killed two people. Israeli strikes on various areas of south Lebanon were reported by Lebanon’s National News Agency after Hezbollah launched a fresh barrage of rockets at northern Israel. The Israeli military intercepted most of the 30 projectiles launched from Lebanon and stated that their policy for protecting civilians remained unchanged.
The cross-border violence since October has resulted in the deaths of approximately 547 people in Lebanon, including 115 civilians, according to an AFP tally.
France and Saudi Arabia joined several countries in urging their citizens to leave Lebanon amid the volatile security situation. France’s foreign ministry advised its nationals to avoid travel to Lebanon and suggested those already in the country leave “as soon as possible.” Additionally, France urged its citizens living in Iran to “temporarily leave.”
Several Western airlines have suspended flights to Lebanon and other regional airports. Qatar Airways announced that its Doha-Beirut route would operate exclusively during daylight hours, at least until Monday.
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