Foreign embassies announce precautionary measures amid fears of all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah
BEIRUT: Foreign embassies in Lebanon went on precautionary measures on Saturday amid fears of an all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty expressed his country's “deep concern over the dangerous escalation” in the region in a phone call with his Lebanese counterpart, Abdullah Bou Habib. Abdelatty confirmed Egypt's support for Lebanon in “facing the threats that surround it,” Egypt's foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
Egypt's statement came as the US and UK urged their citizens in Lebanon to leave the country immediately.
Despite the suspension and cancellation of flights, “commercial transportation options to leave Lebanon are still available,” the US embassy said.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said tensions “are high and the situation could quickly deteriorate”.
The Swedish Embassy recently announced that it will relocate its staff to Cyprus for security reasons.
In light of the escalating tensions, several airlines canceled or extended the suspension of their flights to Beirut. The Netherlands' Transavia Airlines extended the suspension of its flights to and from Beirut until Tuesday, as did Air France. Kuwait Airways will suspend flights to and from Beirut from Monday.
The Israeli military resumed assassinations of Hezbollah members in southern Lebanon and on the Beirut-Damascus road on Saturday as Israel awaited Hezbollah's response to the killing of its top military commander, Fuad Shukr, on Tuesday.
One Israeli airstrike targeted a residential building in the southern suburbs of Beirut, killing seven civilians, and an Israeli military drone targeted a car on Al-Bazuriyya road in Tyre, setting it on fire and killing its driver. Hezbollah identified the victim as Nazih Abed Ali from the southern village of Aitit. The victim was reportedly the brother of the paramedic — Mahmúd Abed Ali — who rushed to the scene of the attack. Videos circulating on social media showed Mahmoud at the site, a few kilometers from Aititu, saying that “crying is forbidden” and that he would pick up the remains of his brother “who is a father of three”.
The ZZS operations center confirmed that the attack killed one person and injured two others.
A few hours later, the Syrian Observatory announced the death of a person in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a car on the Damascus-Beirut road.
Israel also expanded its hostilities towards the Lebanon-Syria border on Friday evening and Saturday morning. Israeli warplanes targeted the vicinity of Al-Qusayr and the Al-Dabaa military airport.
Israeli forces also raided the Matraba crossing, an illegal crossing used by Hezbollah to transport trucks and members from Lebanon to Syria and vice versa.
Israel also targeted a convoy of trucks around the Hosh Al-Sayyid Ali area, killing the Syrian driver, according to AFP.
Israeli shelling targeting houses in border villages including Rab Al-Thalathin, Houla, Tayr Harfa, Aita Al-Shaab and Mays Al-Jabal resulted in the destruction of property but no other casualties.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it targeted Israeli military positions with rockets, including “Al-Assi site, Al-Summaqah site in the occupied Kfarshuba Hills, a military force in Avivim settlement and a building used by Israeli soldiers in Mattat.” compensation.”
Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah vowed at Shukra's funeral to take “decisive action” and warned Israelis they would be “left in tears instead of laughter”.
Several security sources said Hezbollah had evacuated locations in the southern suburbs of Beirut as a precaution, including houses occupied by party officials.
Since hostilities began on October 8, the total number of casualties among Hezbollah, its allies and civilians, both Lebanese and non-Lebanese, is 521.
Israeli media reported on Saturday about “an unusual incident in northern Israel, specifically in the settlement of Liman in the Upper Galilee, where a man tried to infiltrate into Lebanon.” The man's identity has not been released.
