UK to send hundreds of troops to Cyprus for possible Lebanon evacuation
Leave immediately, Starmer tells UK nationals in Lebanon
(about 1 hour later)
People at the site of an Israeli air strike in Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon on Tuesday
People at the site of an Israeli air strike in Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon on Tuesday
People at the site of an Israeli air strike in Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon on Tuesday
People at the site of an Israeli air strike in Beirut's southern suburbs in Lebanon on Tuesday
Published1 hour ago
Published24 September 2024, 20:12 BST
The UK will send hundreds of troops to Cyprus to prepare for the possible evacuation of British nationals from Lebanon, No 10 is expected to announce.
The prime minister has told British nationals in Lebanon "now is the time to leave".
Fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah has intensified in recent days and around 10,000 UK nationals are still understood to be living in Lebanon.
Sir Keir Starmer said "we are ramping up the contingency plans, I think you'd expect that in light of the escalation”, and added that UK citizens should "leave immediately".
Britain’s military has been preparing for months for the possibility of an emergency evacuation and the Foreign Office (FCDO) has urged British nationals to leave Lebanon.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is sending 700 troops to nearby Cyprus and the government "continues to advise against all travel to Lebanon".
Defence Secretary John Healey discussed the situation in the Middle East during a Cobra meeting held on Tuesday.
The situation in the country is described as deteriorating "rapidly, with devastating consequences".
Speaking after the Cobra meeting, Healey said: "Our concern is always for the safety of British nationals and our advice to them is to leave Lebanon now, that hasn't changed.
Asked by reporters how the prime minister will ensure the situation isn’t a repeat of the chaos in the Afghan capital Kabul when the Taliban seized control in August 2021, Sir Keir said: "The most important message from me to British nationals in Lebanon is to leave immediately.
"This was a meeting simply to make sure that we've got plans in place for future developments."
"It is important that we’ve been really, really clear: now is the time to leave.”
Asked if he feared a widening of the conflict, Healey said: "This was just about planning for future developments, our advice hasn't changed.
A senior government source added that the difference, for now at least, is there are commercial flights leaving Lebanon.
"Don't travel to Lebanon and if you're a British national, leave now."
Ministers have repeated their call for an immediate ceasefire.
Cobra - or COBR - meetings are named after Cabinet Office Briefing Room A on Whitehall.
They say more than 500 people have been killed in Lebanon in the past 24 hours.
It is an emergency response committee - a get together of ministers, civil servants, the police, intelligence officers and other officials appropriate to the situation they are looking into.
The Defence Secretary John Healey said: “We continue to urge all sides to step back from conflict to prevent further tragic loss of life.
A senior military source told the BBC the UK's next steps would depend on what Hezbollah and Israel do next and whether Lebanon's international airport remains open.
"Our government is ensuring all preparations are in place to support British nationals should the situation deteriorate.
As well as the RAF airbase at Akrotiri in Cyprus, the Royal Navy has two ships in the eastern Mediterranean – HMS Duncan, a Type 45 Air Defence destroyer and RFA Mounts Bay, a larger supply ship with landing craft.
"I want to thank the British personnel who are deploying in the region for their commitment and professionalism.”
The Royal Navy evacuated British nationals by sea during the Lebanon war in 2006.
Healey held a meeting with fellow ministers, intelligence chiefs and diplomats on Tuesday afternoon to work through the government’s plans.
Tensions have been growing across the Middle East since Hamas gunmen attacked Israel on 7 October last year, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 others as hostages.
Officials say the UK already has a significant diplomatic and military presence close to Lebanon, including RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and two Royal Navy ships - RFA Mounts Bay and HMS Duncan - which have been in the eastern Mediterranean over the summer.
Previously sporadic fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalated on 8 October - the day after Hamas's unprecedented attack. Hezbollah fired at Israeli positions, in solidarity with Hamas.
The Royal Air Force also has planes and helicopters on standby.
Hezbollah has launched more than 8,000 rockets at northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. It has also fired anti-tank missiles at armoured vehicles and attacked military targets with explosive drones.
The escalating conflict in the Middle East is likely to be a significant topic of discussion for the prime minister and other world leaders at the UN General Assembly.
Last week Hezbollah’s communication devices started exploding all across Lebanon.
Sir Keir arrives in New York on Wednesday morning.
Israel then launched a massive series of air strikes on Monday that have so far killed 560 people according to the Lebanese government.
Last year, the British government helped co-ordinate the evacuation of British nationals from Gaza, with some 200 UK citizens thought to be living in the territory before the war broke out.
Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 41,000 people since 7 October, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
