The US embassy in Lebanon has advised its citizens to leave “as soon as possible” while commercial travel options remain available.
This advisory is in response to the closely monitored security situation in Lebanon. The embassy recommends that US citizens who opt not to depart should have contingency plans for emergencies.
On October 17, the US State Department issued a travel advisory, cautioning against travel to Lebanon due to the “unpredictable security situation.”
The advisory comes as a Gaza health ministry spokesman said hundreds were killed in a blast at a Gaza City hospital, igniting protests in the West Bank and around the Middle East. Israeli and Palestinian officials blamed each other for the bombing. read more
Before Tuesday’s blast, health authorities in Gaza said at least 3,000 people had died in Israel’s 11-day bombardment that began after Hamas carried out a rampage on October 7 on southern Israeli communities in which 1,300 people were killed. Around 200 were taken into Gaza as hostages.
Gaza, a 45 km-long (25-mile) enclave home to 2.3 million people, has been ruled since 2006 by Hamas, an Islamist group that is a US-designated foreign terrorist organisation.
