The U.S Embassy in Beirut has urged all Americans to leave Lebanon immediately amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
“U.S. citizens in Lebanon are strongly encouraged to depart now,” the embassy said in an updated security alert to citizens issued on Monday. “U.S. citizens who choose not to depart at this time should prepare contingency plans should the situation deteriorate further.”
It noted that the U.S. government has added thousands of seats to accommodate American citizens and their family members since Sept. 27 but the capacity on those commercial flights has mostly gone unused. Officials warned that the additional flights will not continue indefinitely.
The security alert for Americans was updated amid escalating conflict in the region.
An Israeli airstrike on Monday hit an apartment building in northern Lebanon. The attack killed at least 21 people, according to the Lebanese Red Cross.
The strike occurred the day after a Hezbollah drone attack on an army base in northern Israel killed four soldiers and injured several more.
At the direction of President Joe Biden, the United States has authorized the deployment of military personnel and a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to Israel to help bolster its air defenses. Biden last directed the military to deploy the THAAD battery to the Middle East last year following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on Israel by Hamas.
“It is part of the broader adjustment the U.S. military has made in recent months to support the defense of Israel and protect Americans from attacks by Iran and Iranian-aligned militias,” according to a statement by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
The United States has called for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
The American embassy, in a travel advisory last month, cautioned that the Lebanese government cannot guarantee the safety of U.S. citizens against sudden outbreaks of violence.
“Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Lebanon,” the advisory warned. “Terrorists may conduct attacks with little or no warning targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities.”
The travel advisory also reiterated the importance of contingency plans for those Americans who choose not to leave.
Meanwhile, a United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon has been caught in the crosshairs of war. Their presence in southern Lebanon has been mandated by the United Nations Security Council.
The U.N. on Sunday revealed that the entrance door of a U.N. position was “deliberately breached” by armored vehicles that belong to the Israel Defense Forces.
Despite the attacks on its outposts and the urging from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to leave the area, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) will “remain in all positions,” according to a statement.
The U.N. has confirmed that a number of peacekeepers have been injured in the ongoing violence.