'Leave Lebanon Now': India, Australia, Canada Issue Advisory as Israel-Hezbollah Tensions Escalate

Several countries have asked their citizens to avoid travelling to Lebanon a day after a Hezbollah senior commander Fuad Shukr was killed in an Israeli strike. India, Australia and Canada are among countries who have asked citizens to not travel to Lebanon amid escalating tensions.

The Indian Embassy in Beirut released an announcement where it ‘strongly advised’ Indian nationals against travelling to Lebanon ‘till further notice’.

“All Indian nationals are also strongly advised to leave Lebanon. Those who remain for any reason are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements and remain in contact with Embassy of India in Beirut,” the statement said.

It asked Indian nationals to remain in touch via email by mailing to [email protected] or reach out on the emergency phone number +96176860128.

Australia Minister of Foreign Affairs Penny Wong warned all Australians in Beirut to “leave immediately”. In a statement, Wong said tensions in the region may “escalate quickly” leading to Beirut airport to shut down, in which case, the government won’t be able to help citizens leave.

Canada, too, urged its citizens to “come back home” if they were in Lebanon, and to “not think about visiting Beirut.”

Israel-Hezbollah Tensions

Israel’s military announced late on Tuesday it had killed Shukr, whom it named as Hezbollah’s most senior commander and whom it blamed for an attack on July 27 that left a dozen youngsters dead in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Hezbollah said that its secretary general Hassan Nasrallah would speak on Thursday on the occasion of Shukr’s funeral.

Lebanese ministers and lawmakers visited the scene on Wednesday. Speaking from the ruins, Hezbollah parliamentarian Ali Ammar condemned the strike on Dahiyeh as well as the killing of Haniyeh in Tehran. Israel has made no comment on Haniyeh’s assassination.

“This enemy (Israel) demands war and we are up for it, God willing, we are up for it,” Ammar said.

Lebanon’s cabinet held an emergency meeting on Wednesday morning to discuss the strike on Beirut and issued a statement read to reporters by Information Minister Ziad Makary.

Makary condemned the strike and said retaliation by Hezbollah was anticipated but that the government was worried the situation could “spiral”.

“Lebanon does not want war,” he said, adding that the government would engage in diplomatic efforts to calm tensions.

(With inputs from agencies)