Foreign Office charters flight to rescue Britons trapped in Lebanon

The UK Government has chartered a commercial flight out of Lebanon to help Brits flee the country as Israel began its long-anticipated ground offensive in defiance of international pleas to find a diplomatic solution to its war with Hezbollah . The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) says it has begun ‘localised and targeted raids’ against the Iran-backed militant group – a proscribed terror organisation in Britain – in southern border villages.

Amid fears of an all-out Middle East war that has threatened to explode since Hamas invaded Israel almost a year ago, the Foreign Office has engaged an airliner to take vulnerable British citizens to safety – with potentially more to come. The flight is due to leave Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday and vulnerable British nationals and their spouses, partners and children under 18 will be prioritised, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said.

Brits who have registered their presence in Lebanon will be told how and when to request seats – with those who have not made the FCDO aware of their status in the country urged to do so ‘immediately’. Foreign Secretary David Lammy has warned that the situation in Lebanon is ‘volatile and has potential to deteriorate quickly’. He added: ‘The safety of British nationals in Lebanon continues to be our utmost priority. That’s why the UK Government is chartering a flight to help those wanting to leave. It is vital that you leave now as further evacuation may not be guaranteed.’

Mr Lammy said the situation on the ground is ‘fast moving’ and ministers can’t guarantee support ‘if things escalate in a major way over the coming hours and days’. He told reporters on Monday night: ‘I have been urging since coming to office in July for British nationals to leave Lebanon. And indeed the previous government from October 2023 was urging UK nationals not to travel to Lebanon. Notwithstanding that we sent a rapid response team. 700 troops are in Cyprus. We will do all we can to assist people to get out. We have secured places on commercial flights that are flying tomorrow so that UK nationals can get out.’

Asked what he would say to British nationals who have not yet taken his advice, he said: ‘I urge them to leave because the situation on the ground is fast moving. While we will do everything we can to protect British nationals and those plans are in place to do so, we cannot anticipate the circumstances of the speed with which we could do that If things escalate in a major way over the coming hours and days.’ 

Israel says the targets it has struck with ground and bombing offensives posed an ‘immediate threat’ to communities along the border with Lebanon. The IDF said that its incursion, dubbed ‘Operation Northern Arrows’, will continue ‘according to the situational assessment and in parallel to combat in Gaza and in other arenas’. The ground assault was given the green light after hundreds of Israeli tanks massed on the border, with foot soldiers also supported by intense air strikes. Dramatic pictures showed a barrage of rockets and bombs lighting up the sky, while artillery fire was heard in a number of villages close to the Israel-Lebanon border. The deployment of boots on the ground represents a significant escalation in Israel’s war against Hezbollah, whose leadership has been wiped out in a series of recent airstrikes.

Israel has not said how long it intends to carry out its operation in Lebanon, but said troops had been preparing for the incursion for months. Tension in the Middle East escalated even further after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in Israeli strikes on Beirut on Friday. Amid the increased violence, Syrian state-run media also confirmed that one of its television presenters was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Damascus.

It came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stark warning to Iran, whom Hamas and Hezbollah are both backed by. He said: ‘There is nowhere in the Middle East Israel cannot reach. There is nowhere we will not go to protect our people and protect our country.’ The U.S. said it was informed beforehand about Israel’s raid, which have been described as ‘limited operations focused on Hezbollah infrastructure near the border .’

The invasion is said to have forced Lebanese troops to retreat three miles from their positions along the county’s southern border with Israel. The sound of explosions could be heard on the border overnight, with hundreds of Israeli tanks lined up for the ground invasion. Fires were seen erupting across Lebanon as plumes of smoke billowed into the night sky.

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