LONDON: Around 200 British citizens are to be evacuated from Beirut on a flight chartered by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on Wednesday, The Times reported.
The evacuation comes after a sharp escalation in the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese movement Hezbollah, coupled with Iran’s missile attack on Israel on Tuesday.
It is understood that there is not enough room on the flight for everyone who has expressed an interest in leaving the country, meaning hundreds of eligible Brits could be left behind as the situation deteriorates.
The Foreign Office has not ruled out taking on more flights “while the airport stays open,” The Times said, citing a government source.
Although Israel has avoided targets that could contain foreign citizens fleeing Lebanon, British diplomats are nervous about the risks involved in a mission to fly UK citizens to safety. Areas within a few hundred meters of the airport have already been bombed.
People who wish to be evacuated on Wednesday’s flight are required to make their own way to the airport, and vulnerable British citizens and their spouses, partners, and children under 18 are being prioritized.
A Lebanese local explained that reaching the airport was risky: “The roads leading to the airport are dangerous because you never know where they (Israel) are going to bomb. You don’t know where the target is or even if someone they want to kill is on the road.”
In order to get to the airport, travelers would have to pass by places such as the Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh, the target of dozens of Israeli attacks in recent days and where Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed on Friday, the local said.
While the government will pay to charter the flight, those wanting to get on it are expected to pay a fee of £350 ($465) per person.
Some of those returning on Wednesday have a place booked on flights leaving the country over the weekend, but they fear that it will be too late if they wait until then.
The Foreign Office is considering other ways to bring UK nationals to safety as there are no commercial flights out of the country available for the next few days. More aircraft could be chartered as a result.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said the situation in Lebanon “is volatile and has potential to deteriorate quickly.
“That’s why the UK government is chartering a flight to help those wanting to leave. It is vital that you leave now as further evacuation may not be guaranteed,” he warned British citizens in the country.
