MORE COUNTRIES URGE THEIR CITIZENS TO LEAVE LEBANON

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 (Bernama) -- More countries worldwide are urging their citizens to evacuate Lebanon as tensions in the region intensify, following continued Israeli airstrikes on the country.

On Wednesday, Malaysia also advised its citizens to make immediate arrangements to leave Lebanon voluntarily.

BERNAMA reported the Foreign Ministry in a statement also urged Malaysian citizens to defer all travel to Lebanon until the situation there returns to normalcy.

The Indian Embassy in Beirut in a statement said all Indian nationals are “strongly advised to leave Lebanon” and not to travel to Lebanon.

Around 4,000 Indians lived in Lebanon until recently and most of them were employed in companies, construction sector, and agricultural farms.

Anadolu Agency reported Italy and Belgium on Wednesday advised their nationals to do the same. 

Speaking at the European People's Party (EPP) meeting in Naples, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said:

"We have always advised Italians working in Lebanon to leave as soon as possible. There are still flights from Beirut to the West, so we recommend they leave now."

He noted that about 300 Italians are in Lebanon for work, while 3,000 are dual nationals.

Tajani noted that 1,000 Italian soldiers are part of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon mission, and efforts are being made to ensure their safety.

Belgium's Foreign Ministry also urged its citizens to leave Lebanon "as soon as possible."

The ministry warned that the security situation "could worsen further," according to Belgium's official agency, Belga.

An estimated 1,800 Belgians are believed to reside in Lebanon.

In Cairo, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry in a statement Wednesday advised its nationals to avoid travelling to Lebanon, citing Israeli military strikes.

“Given the rapidly evolving situation in Lebanon and the intensifying military operations along the Israeli-Lebanese border, we urge Egyptians to avoid travelling to Lebanon unless absolutely necessary,” Anadolu Agency reported, citing the statement.

It urged nationals in Lebanon to exercise caution, avoid conflict zones, follow instructions by Lebanese authorities and stay in contact with the Egyptian Embassy in Beirut.

EgyptAir said Tuesday it suspended flights from Cairo to Beirut until conditions stabilise in Lebanon.

Russia also urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave the country.

The Russian embassy and other diplomatic missions in Lebanon are working to inform some 3,000 Russian citizens staying in Lebanon about the existing warnings and recommendations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a press briefing in Moscow.

“All measures are now being taken to recommend our citizens to leave the territory of Lebanon as soon as possible, using the available opportunities of commercial transportation. This is necessary to ensure the safety of these citizens," he said.

Meanwhile, dpa reported that the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged Britons to leave Lebanon by the remaining commercial routes without relying on a possible evacuation.

“In relation to Lebanon, I am very worried about the escalation. I’m calling for all parties to step back from the brink, to de-escalate. We need a ceasefire so this can be sorted out diplomatically,” he said ahead of his appearance at the UN in New York.

“But I have a very important message for British nationals in Lebanon which is: the time to leave is now. The contingency plans are being ramped up but don’t wait for those, there are still commercial flights.

“It’s very important that they hear my message, which is to leave and to leave immediately,” Starmer said. 

Israel has launched waves of deadly airstrikes on Lebanon since early Monday that have killed nearly 610 victims and injured more than 2,000, according to Lebanese health authorities.

The Lebanese group, Hezbollah, and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of the Israeli onslaught against Gaza, which has killed more than 41,400 victims since Oct 7 last year. 

The international community has warned against the strikes on Lebanon, as they raise the spectre of spreading the Gaza conflict regionally.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU AGENCY/dpa