Brits have been urged to leave Lebanon immediately amid fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East.
The Foreign Office on Monday evening said it continued to advise against all travel to the country amid escalation in fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Britons had already been warned against travelling to the country, which is on the ‘red’ advisory list of locations where officials cannot guarantee consular support in case of an emergency.
An FCDO spokesperson said in a warning: “If you are currently in Lebanon, we encourage you to leave, while commercial options remain available.”
Fears of wider Middle East conflict have steadily escalated since the outbreak of war in Gaza after Hamas’ October 7 terror attack on Israel, with Hezbollah and Israeli forces exchanging fire along the Israel-Lebanon border.
A rocket from Lebanon struck a football field in the Golan Heights on Saturday, killing 12 children and teenagers, according to Israeli authorities.
⚠ The FCDO continues to advise British nationals in Lebanon to leave.
— Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) July 29, 2024
🚨 We advise against all travel to Lebanon.https://t.co/NlKYKGCQWy pic.twitter.com/y6QqcrEEPq
Israel's security cabinet has authorised the country's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his government to decide on a wider response to the attack.
The Government earlier on Monday described the situation as “extremely concerning”.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters: "We are deeply concerned about the situation and the risk of further escalation and destabilisation.
"I think as the PM has said before, the situation on the northern border of Israel is extremely concerning, and we're calling on all parties to de-escalate.
"We urge both the Israeli and Lebanese governments to engage with the US-led discussions to reach a political settlement and resolve these tensions diplomatically."
It comes amid a report that British navy ships were on their way to the region to help any potential evacuation operations from Lebanon.
Ministers have warned of the potential of a “serious” escalation in the conflict, with Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden telling Sky News: "We have known that there is this other situation in northern Israel between Hezbollah and Israel, and that has the potential to be a much more serious situation than even the one that we have been watching unfold in Gaza over the last 10 months."
Asked if the Government would support an Israeli ground invasion against Hezbollah, Mr McFadden said: "We will always argue for Israel's right to defend itself, but we hope in this situation that cooler and calmer heads will prevail and we do not see a full-scale conflict between Israel and Hezbollah."
Since October 8, a day after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, Israel and Hezbollah have been trading fire, but cross-border fighting has ramped up in recent weeks.
Israel and Hamas are currently considering a ceasefire proposal to end the nearly 10-month war and free around 110 hostages still being held in Gaza.
