Britain begins evacuating citizens from Lebanon as Israeli attacks continue | Lebanon

Britain has chartered flights to evacuate British nationals from Lebanon and said it was prepared to commission more for the 5,000 nationals and their families who remain in the country.

Beirut International Airport remains open, but ministers and officials are preparing contingency plans for sea and air rescue through Cyprus if the security situation in Lebanon deteriorates to the point where commercial flights are halted.

The Dan Air flight landed at Birmingham International Airport just before 8:40 p.m. after transiting in Bucharest.

Speaking on Wednesday afternoon, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: The first charter flight to take British nationals out of Lebanon has now departed. We have arranged another flight for tomorrow and additional flights over the next few days as long as there is demand and it is safe to do so.

Thousands of Britons and other foreigners have fled Lebanon since Israel stepped up its campaign against Hezbollah just a fortnight ago, a departure spurred by repeated airstrikes against the militant group's leaders and missile launch sites across the country.

Defense Secretary John Healy visited Cyprus and the RAF's Akrotiri base, where an additional 700 personnel are stationed there to help deal with military threats and ensure the safety of British nationals in Lebanon, he said.

Joint Task Force Commander Brigadier General Paul Maynard said there are a variety of options for emergency evacuation if the airport closes. This included rescues by sea and air.

According to defense sources, the most likely form of emergency rescue would be by sea, as happened during the last Lebanon war in 2006, but the main focus was to ask the British to leave while commercial options remained.

Healey also said two RAF Typhoon jets were in the air ready to engage in the Middle East on Tuesday night as Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on Israel, but there were no suitable targets to hit.

John Healey speaks to the media at RAF Akrotiri. Photo: Mo Yui/AFP/Getty Images

Fighter jets had previously shot down an Iranian drone last April, but they were not needed in this case because the Typhoons are not capable of taking out high-velocity ballistic missiles.

The Defense Minister said during his visit to the Akrotiri base that the nature of the attack was different. A British plane hovered in the sky last night. They were ready to participate. They didn't have to do that.

Prime Minister Healy spoke with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant on Wednesday morning and said we fully condemn the Iranian missile attack overnight and will uphold Israel's security rights.

He added that Britain's main concern was to avoid the conflict escalating into a wider regional war, and urged Gallant to support the 21-day ceasefire plan, although there were no signs of either side stopping the fighting.

Keir Starmer, who is on an official visit to Brussels, also called for restraint. We must step back from the brink and encourage all parties to find ways to reduce tensions and find political solutions to the very many fronts of the Middle East crisis, the prime minister said.

Asked about possible Israeli retaliation against Iran, he said Israel had the right to be safe but refused to be taken further.

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/02/uk-begins-evacuating-citizens-from-lebanon-as-israel-steps-up-attacks The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos