The United States of America, United Kingdom and Germany have all asked their citizens to leave Lebanon over fears that border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah may intensify over Israel’s war with Hamas.
A statement from the US Embassy in Beirut, reads: “We recommend that United States citizens in Lebanon make appropriate arrangements to leave the country; commercial options currently remain available.”
The UK embassy also issued a similar warning, saying “If you are currently in Lebanon, we encourage you to leave now while commercial options remain available,” the British embassy said, urging its nationals to “exercise caution.”
In its own warning to Germans, Germany asked citizens to “leave Lebanon”, warning that border clashes “can escalate further at any time”.
Reports say Hezbollah and allied Palestinian factions have been engaged in daily cross-border fire with Israel after Hamas launched a massive October 7th assault on southern Israel, killing more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians.
Relentless Israeli strikes on Gaza have since killed at least 3,700 people, mostly civilians, the Hamas-run health ministry says. France, Canada, Australia and Spain have also warned against travel to Lebanon.
According to reports, at least 21 people have been killed by cross-border fire in Lebanon, mostly combatants but also three civilians including a Reuters journalist, while at least three people have been killed on the Israeli side.
In the meantime, the United States of America has listed Nigeria as one of the countries its citizens should reconsider traveling to as fears mount over the possibility of US interests becoming targets as protests and discontent spread over the Israel-Hamas war.
Listing Nigeria under the third tier of caution alert (Reconsider to travel) the US State Department highlighted Adamawa, Bauchi, Kogi, Yobe, Borno, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Gombe, Kano and Katsina as possible hot zones.
According to a worldwide travel advisory from the State Department, US citizens travelling abroad were told to “exercise increased caution”.
“Due to increased tensions in various locations around the world, the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests, the Department of State advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution,” officials said in the “worldwide caution” alert.
Aside asking Americans to stay alert in locations frequented by tourists, the Department of State listed Niger, Libya, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso and Central Africa Republic as countries US citizens must not travel to.
The last time the department issued such a warning was in August 2022; following the counterterrorism strike in Afghanistan that killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
At that time, U.S. officials warned “supporters of al- Qa’ida, or its affiliated terrorist organizations, may seek to attack U.S. facilities, personnel, or citizens.”
In a separate development, the State Department has instructed its embassies and consulates around the world to conduct emergency security reviews amid ongoing protests sparked by the fighting.
Secretary of State, Antony Blinken also instructed personnel to evaluate whether embassies should issue alerts to Americans in their respective countries about potential threats posed by the demonstrations, as many have already done.