UK Prepares To Send Troops For Potential Evacuation From Lebanon

9/25/2024 5:15:01 AM

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) LONDON, Sept 25 (KUNA) -- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, on Wednesday, instructed UK citizens in Lebanon to leave immediately, as the Ministry of Defense prepared to send around 700 troops to Cyprus this evening in anticipation of emergency evacuation operations, BCC reported.
Starmer stated to British nationals in Lebanon "now is the time to leave," amidst escalating military tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
According to a statement from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Starmer emphasized the urgency of the situation and was intensifying efforts to prepare emergency plans in light of the escalation between the Israeli occupation and Hezbollah.
"I think we need to be clear we need de-escalation, we need a ceasefire, we need to pull back from the brink," he said.
On Tuesday, Secretary of State for Defense, John Healey chaired an emergency meeting of the Cabinet Office Briefing Room A (COBRA) -- which was to make high-level decision when an emergency situation arrives -- urging the estimated thousands of British nationals in Lebanon to leave immediately.
He called on all parties to step back from the conflict to prevent further tragic loss of life, and added that the UK government was making sure all preparations were in place to support British nationals, should the situation deteriorate.
Two British warships were stationed in the region, ready to assist in evacuation efforts, with helicopters and Royal Air Force fighter jets on standby.
The Israeli occupation's strikes reportedly killed more than 560 people this week, the situation was deteriorating "rapidly, with devastating consequences."
BBC reported that Lebanon's health minister described what was happening in his country was "carnage," as hospitals struggle to cope with the number of casualties from two days of widespread Israeli occupation air strikes.
The past two weeks have seen the Israeli occupation launched its largest military offensive against Hezbollah since the 2006 war, with the Israeli occupation claiming the attacks aim to disrupt the group's ability to strike the northern Israeli occupied lands. (end)
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