Some countries are issuing travel advisories for their citizens regarding Lebanon.
This comes as crossfire is reported on the Israel-Lebanon border, raising fears of a wider regional war. Further, hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Beirut after the hospital blast in Gaza City that killed hundreds, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health controlled by Hamas.
Germany: The foreign ministry has urged German citizens to leave Lebanon "now" since the security in the region is "highly volatile" following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, in its latest travel advice, the country's foreign office noted that a "further aggravation of the situation and an expansion of the conflict cannot be ruled out. This applies in particular to the southern parts of Lebanon, i.e. all areas south of the city of Beirut".
German nationals are also urged to register their contact details on an online crisis portal and be aware of current safety advisories in the country, the ministry wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Thursday warned of further escalation of the conflict in the Middle East following attacks on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Norway: The foreign ministry updated its travel guidance and advised "against all travel to Lebanon" due to a "serious security situation in the region", Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said in a statement Thursday, adding that "daily military activity on the border between Lebanon and Israel" increase the risk.
According to the ministry, there are still flights from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, "but the options for traveling out of Lebanon have become increasingly limited in recent days".
United States: The State Department has raised the travel advisory for Lebanon and Israel to the highest level and has authorized non-emergency US government personnel and family members to depart.
France and the United Kingdom have also issued similar guidance this week, warning their citizens not to travel to Lebanon.
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