Britain steps up preparations to airlift citizens out of Lebanon

Government ‘stands prepared’ to evacuate British citizens if Israel-Hezbollah tensions continue to escalate

The Government is preparing to airlift British citizens from Lebanon if tensions between Israel and Hezbollah descend into all-out war, The Telegraph can disclose.
A defence source said the Government “stands prepared” to evacuate stranded British nationals to safety on Friday as part of an operation being planned by the Foreign Office.
David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, discussed the ongoing preparations in an emergency Cobra meeting, The Telegraph understands.
He met with ministerial colleagues after a wave of unprecedented Israeli attacks against Hezbollah using the terror group’s communications network, which left dozens dead and thousands more injured.
Israel’s military said it had also carried out an air strike in Beirut that killed Ibrahim Aqil, Hezbollah’s second-in-command. 
The British military has been placed on standby to launch an emergency evacuation, with two ships also in the region to assist efforts.
Officials were also planning to rent aircraft that could be used under the current plans being discussed in London.
The Telegraph understands the Ministry of Defence would be ready to evacuate Britons via an airlift if called upon, but is not actively preparing to do so.
Meanwhile, British nationals were told to consider escaping Lebanon while commercial airline services were still running.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “The Foreign Secretary has chaired a meeting of Cobra this morning on the latest situation in Lebanon and to discuss ongoing preparedness work, with the risk of escalation remaining high.
“The safety of British nationals is our number one priority which is why we’re continuing to advise people to leave Lebanon now while commercial routes remain available.”
Some British nationals in the country said they had decided to remain, at least for the moment.
A British charity worker said that although his mother was worried about him, he felt he could not abandon colleagues and those he was working with on his programme.
“I felt it would somehow be wrong to cut and run at the first moment when things go wrong,” he said.
The US, Germany, France, Australia, Canada, Jordan, Italy and Turkey also warned their nationals to escape the country as soon as possible.
A number of international airlines, including Lufthansa, Air France and Delta, have suspended flights to Beirut because of security concerns.
The only direct flights out of Lebanon are with local carrier Middle East Airlines.
The Government was preparing over the summer for the possibility of launching an emergency evacuation of British nationals from Lebanon.
Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah had subsided until the attacks this week triggered concerns of another flare-up, leading to further planning for a possible evacuation.
But there has been no order handed down to evacuate yet, despite mounting fears of an all-out war.
Mr Lammy “expressed [his] deep concern over rising tensions and civilian casualties in Lebanon”, in a discussion with Najib Makati, Lebanon’s prime minister, on Thursday night.
Britain last evacuated its citizens from Lebanon in 2006 during another conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Thousands of Britons were taken on ships co-ordinated by the Royal Navy to Cyprus, from where they were flown back to the UK.
The RAF base at Akrotiri in Cyprus would likely act as a hub for any aerial evacuation effort.
Military jets and even helicopters could be made available for the relatively short 145-mile hop to the Mediterranean island in the absence of commercial aircraft.
Ships could be called upon again if a major outbreak of fighting means it is too unsafe for Beirut’s international airport to be used as the first point of evacuation.