Israel-Hezbollah war: How countries are evacuating their citizens from Lebanon
As tensions escalate between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah, nations worldwide are implementing various strategies to evacuate their citizens from Lebanon. These countries include Russia, France, Spain, Greece, Belgium, Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Germany, The Netherlands, Italy, and Poland. Portugal, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States, among others. They have prepared contingency plans following a series of missile attacks and ground raids by Israeli forces.
Russia, France initiate evacuation efforts
Russia has initiated the evacuation of its citizens, primarily family members of Russian diplomats, via a special flight from Beirut. This operation was carried out under the direct orders of President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, France has facilitated the return of its nationals to Paris through two commercial flights operated by Lebanese carrier Middle East Airlines. The French authorities had reserved 200 seats specifically for citizens with health conditions and elderly or isolated individuals.
Australia, Germany and Netherlands execute evacuation plans
Australia has secured hundreds of airline seats for its citizens stranded in Lebanon and dispatched military aircraft to Cyprus as part of a contingency plan. Germany successfully evacuated 241 people on two air force flights earlier this week. The passengers included non-essential workers from its Beirut embassy, their dependents, some citizens with medical conditions, and members of German organizations. The Dutch government also announced plans to fly a military plane to Beirut for repatriating Dutch citizens.
Evacuation efforts by Greece, Spain and Moldova
Greece has dispatched a C-130 military aircraft to Cyprus to evacuate Greek and Cypriot nationals from Lebanon. Spain successfully repatriated over 200 Spanish citizens to Madrid from Beirut on a military airplane. The Moldovan foreign ministry also announced the successful evacuation of 11 Moldovans, mostly children, with assistance from Ukraine and the International Organization for Migration.
UK and Canada prepare for large-scale evacuations
The United Kingdom has chartered a commercial flight for its nationals from Beirut airport, prioritizing vulnerable nationals. The UK government stated that additional flights could be arranged if necessary. Canada has reserved 800 seats on commercial planes to evacuate its citizens from Lebanon, where about 45,000 Canadians are currently located. The Canadian military has also established emergency resources in Cyprus in case commercial flights are interrupted.
