Amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran-supported Hezbollah, hundreds of troops are set to deploy to Cyprus from the United Kingdom to facilitate the potential evacuation of British nationals from Lebanon. Almost 10,000 Britons still remain in the country. The British military has been anticipating the need for an emergency evacuation for a few months now and urges citizens to leave immediately, reinforcing the warning sent out by the Foreign Office.
Britain’s Secretary of Defence, John Healey, attended a Cobra meeting on Tuesday to discuss the aforementioned issue. Healey’s statement afterward re-emphasised that the protection of British nationals is a top priority and urged people to exit Lebanon immediately. Their focus was centred around emergency planning for future potential development rather than a fear of expanding conflict.
“The situation is dynamic, and the next steps will depend on what the Israeli forces and Hezbollah choose to do, as well as the state of Lebanon’s international airport.” said a senior military official. As well as the RAF airbase based at Akrotiri in Cyprus, the Royal Navy has two military ships in the Mediterranean area, HMS Duncan (Type 45 air defence destroyer) and RFA Mounts Bay. During the Lebanon war in 2006, British military forces were involved in the removal of British citizens in the area by using the Royal Navy’s capacity to facilitate the evacuation by sea.
The conflict’s roots can be traced back to last year when Hamas gunmen launched an attack on Israel in early October, causing deaths and abductions. Following this, sporadic fighting became more frequent. Tensions bubbled over as Hezbollah launched more than 8,000 rockets at northern Israel, including the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights since the start of the conflict. The group attacked military targets using explosives. Hezbollah’s communication devices across Lebanon also began to explode sharply. Israel retaliated by launching a massive series of air attacks resulting in the loss of 560 lives, according to the Lebanese authorities. Last year, the British government assisted in evacuating 200 citizens from Gaza when the conflict arose, and over 41,000 people are reported to have lost their lives due to the conflict since it began
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