Foreign embassies announce precautionary measures amid fears of Israel-Hezbollah war
BEIRUT: Foreign embassies in Lebanon continued to exercise caution on Saturday amid fears of an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdellatty expressed “deep concern about the dangerous escalation” in the region in a phone call with his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib. Abdellatti reaffirmed Egypt's support for Lebanon “to face the threats around it,” Egypt's foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
Egypt's statement came after the US and UK urged their citizens in Lebanon to leave the country immediately.
Despite the flight suspensions and cancellations, “commercial transportation options are available to leave Lebanon,” the US embassy said.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said tensions “are high, and the situation could deteriorate rapidly.”
The Swedish Embassy recently announced that it will be relocating its staff to Cyprus due to security concerns.
In light of the rising tensions, several airlines have canceled or extended their flights to Beirut. The Netherlands' Transavia Airlines has suspended flights to and from Beirut, as has Air France. Kuwait Airways will suspend flights to and from Beirut from Monday.
Israeli forces resumed killing Hezbollah members in southern Lebanon and on the Beirut-Damascus road on Saturday, as Israel awaited Hezbollah's response to the killing of its top military commander, Fuad Shouk, on Tuesday.
An Israeli strike targeted a residential building in a southern suburb of Beirut, killing seven civilians, and an Israeli military drone targeted a car on Tire's al-Bajuria street, setting it on fire and killing its driver. Hezbollah identified the victim as Nazih Abed Ali from the southern village of Ait. The victim was reportedly the brother of a paramedic – Mahmoud Abed Ali – who rushed to the scene of the attack. In videos going viral on social media, Mahmoud said “crying is forbidden” at the site, a few kilometers from Aitit, and that he would collect the remains of his brother, a “father of three”.
The Public Health Emergency Operations Center has confirmed that one person died and two others were injured in the attack.
A few hours later, the Syrian Observatory announced that one person had been killed in an Israeli strike that targeted a car on the Damascus-Beirut road.
Israel expanded its hostilities along the Lebanese-Syrian border on Friday night and early Saturday morning. Israeli warplanes targeted al-Qusair and the vicinity of the military al-Daba airport.
Israeli forces also raided the Matraba crossing – an illegal crossing used by Hezbollah to transport trucks and members from Lebanon into Syria.
According to AFP, Israel also targeted a truck convoy around the Hosh al-Sayed Ali area, killing a Syrian driver.
Israeli shelling targeted houses in the border villages of Rab al-Thalathin, Houla, Tayir Harfa, Aita al-Shaab, and Mays al-Jabal, causing property destruction but no further casualties.
Hezbollah said they targeted Israeli military positions with missiles, including “the al-Asi site, the al-Sumakah site in the occupied Kafarshuba hills, a military force in the Avivim settlement, and buildings used by Israeli soldiers in the Mattat settlement.”
Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah vowed “decisive action” at Shukra's funeral and warned Israelis that they would be “left with tears instead of laughter.”
Several security sources reported that Hezbollah had evacuated the southern suburbs of Beirut, including houses occupied by party officials, as a precautionary measure.
Since hostilities began on October 8, casualties among Hezbollah, its allies, and both Lebanese and non-Lebanese civilians have totaled 521.
Israeli media reported on Saturday “an unusual incident in northern Israel, particularly in the settlement of Liman in the Upper Galilee, where a man attempted to infiltrate into Lebanon.” The identity of that person has not been disclosed.
