British foreign secretary urges UK citizens to leave Lebanon as Israeli invasion could trigger all-out war
By bellecarter // 2024-09-24
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Following massive genocidal attacks in Lebanon by the Israeli army, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged U.K. citizens to immediately leave the country. "My message to British nationals in Lebanon is to leave while commercial options remain. Tensions are high and the situation could deteriorate rapidly," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Let's hope we don't get there because this is a doomsday scenario for everyone. It's a doomsday for Lebanon but Lebanon will not hurt alone in this war. That's what recent history has taught us. So all efforts should be focused on avoiding such an outcome." He continues to warn that many more dangerous aspects of the Middle East could get as far as Europe and beyond. Meanwhile, Ambassador of Lebanon to the United Kingdom Rami Mortada said that their troops would not "stand idly by and watch" if Israel invaded or were to "mount a heavy aerial attack," the Times reported. On Sept.19, Israeli jets bombarded Lebanon with more than 100 strikes. Mortada warned that Hezbollah has become a "formidable fighting force," saying that a multi-frontal war in the region could radicalize a whole new generation in Europe. "We are facing all the risks of an all-out regional conflict and that's what we have been tirelessly trying to avoid," he said. Moreover, the Israeli army has recently admitted that it had launched more than 300 air raids at sites used by the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah. As per Lebanon's Health Minister Firas Abiad, 274 people have been killed, including 21 children and 31 women. More than 1,000 people have also been injured, he said. He also said that Israeli airstrikes targeted "hospitals, medical centers and ambulances," adding that the figures come on top of the dozens killed and thousands injured last week when pagers and walkie-talkies were detonated targeting Hezbollah operatives. Israel's military vowed to continue to attack Hezbollah and said its strikes throughout Thursday hit about 100 rocket launchers plus other targets in southern Lebanon. In response, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said via live television coverage, while Israeli warplanes could be heard breaking the sound barrier over Beirut, that the device explosions on Tuesday and Wednesday "crossed all red lines." "The enemy went beyond all controls, laws and morals," he said. He said that the attacks "could be considered war crimes or a declaration of war," acknowledging that they had suffered an "unprecedented " blow when thousands of operatives' communication devices exploded." (Related: Bulgaria – not Hungary – manufactured the pager bombs used in Israel attack against Hezbollah that left 37 dead, thousands injured.) He described the attacks as a "massacre" and a possible "act of war." He vowed that Israel would face "tough retribution and just punishment, where it expects it and where it does not."

Hezbollah leader dodges Israel's threats; ready to face all military possibilities

Over the weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed to be doing everything he can to "restore security." However, the Iran-backed Lebanese group's deputy leader Naim Qassem said that threats will not stop them and that they are "ready to face all military possibilities." "We have entered a new phase, namely an open reckoning with Israel," he said at the funeral of Ibrahim Aqil, a high-ranking Hezbollah commander killed in Israel's Friday strike in Beirut, where 45 people were killed, including 15 of Aqil's men. About 30 civilians were also killed in the said strike, including entire families. Huge crowds lined the streets and followed the coffin as it was driven on an elevated platform on the back of a pick-up truck. A strong message of defiance from the gathered Hezbollah supporters was evident. They even chanted "Death to America." Lebanese Minister for Public Works Ali Hamie, who is also linked with Hezbollah, said Israel is dragging the region to war. "In the end, Lebanon is not seeking the war," he told the BBC at the scene of the strike. "Even the Lebanese people. But Israel is calling us worldwide, come to war. Come to war." Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden claimed that he was working to facilitate the safe return of residents to their homes along the Israeli-Lebanon border during a recent cabinet meeting. "We're going to keep at it until we get it done, but we’ve got a way to go," Biden said, emphasizing the importance of continuing efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza to promote regional stability. But reports indicate that his administration has lost hope for a truce before he leaves office in January. UN Chief Antonio Guterres told reporters that he feared "the possibility of transforming Lebanon [into] another Gaza." Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, UN's special coordinator in Lebanon, posted on X that the Middle East was on the brink of "imminent catastrophe." "It cannot be overstated enough: there is NO military solution that will make either side safer," she posted on X on Sunday. Read more about the developing conflicts Israel is waging against Middle Eastern nations at WWIII.news.

Sources for this article include:

DailyMail.co.uk TheGuardian.com BBC.com
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