Amid the escalating tension between Israel and Iran, Australia urges the citizens in Lebanon to evacuate the region.Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong revealed that the government had secured 500 seats on flights scheduled to leave Beirut airport on Sunday.
“We are very worried about the situation escalating. If Beirut airport closes, the options to leave become even less. Please take whatever option is available to you. Please do not wait for your preferred route… If you are able to secure a seat on a flight, please take that seat. If you have a seat on today’s flight, don’t delay,”Wong said.
“Now is not the time for you to wait and see, now is the time to leave,” She added.
Spain and Germany Urged their Nationals to Evacuate
Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles announced on Wednesday that Spain is preparing to evacuate up to 350 citizens from Lebanon, with plans to deploy two military aircraft as early as Thursday.
“The Spanish airplanes are ready, and the staff are ready, as always with the professionalism of the Spanish Army,” she stated and Antena 3 TV quoted.
The decision follows requests from a group of Spanish nationals in Lebanon who expressed their desire to return home.
Germany has summoned Iran’s ambassador to condemn Tehran’s missile attack and has issued an advisory urging its citizens to leave Iran immediately.
“We summoned the Iranian ambassador,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer tells reporters, adding that the ambassador himself was not in Berlin and that the charge d’affaires had attended instead.
Germany’s Foreign Ministry urged its citizens on Wednesday to leave Iran, citing a volatile situation that could change at any moment, according to reports.
The warning followed Iran’s ballistic missile strikes on Israel and Israel’s escalation of its conflict with Hezbollah by deploying troops across the border into Lebanon.
Israel’s air strikes target
Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon took place nearly after two weeks of airstrikes targeting Hezbollah. Ever since then, southern Lebanon has been the most affected with strikes targeting the eastern Bekaa.
Israel claims it is targeting Hezbollah sites, including weapons stores and ammunition depots, while Lebanese officials report that over 100 women and children have been killed.
