Foreign Secretary warns Brits to flee Lebanon as tensions with Israel rise after Hezbollah pager explosions

19 September 2024, 18:57

Foreign Secretary David Lammy has called on Brits to leave Lebanon “while commercial options remain” as tensions reach boiling point in the Middle East.

Mr Lammy took to social media to warn British citizens the situation could "deteriorate rapidly", with Israel and Hezbollah seemingly on the verge of war.

It comes after at least 37 people were killed as hand-held devices, including pagers and walkie-talkies, exploded across Lebanon.

Mr Lammy tweeted today: “My message to British nationals in Lebanon is leave while commercial options remain.

“Tensions are high and the situation could deteriorate rapidly.”

The Foreign Office website, meanwhile, reads: "FCDO continues to advise against all travel to Lebanon. If you are currently in Lebanon, we encourage you to leave, while commercial options remain available."

A dramatic 'sonic boom' was heard over the city of Beirut today, after Israeli jets were spotted flying low over the Lebanese capital.

The loud blast coincided with a Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's speech on Thursday, in which the leader warned that "the resistance in Lebanon will not stop" until the war in Gaza ends.

The sound, believed to be Israeli jets breaking the sound barrier over the city, coincided with Nasrallah's public address, as the world's media watched on.

Hezbollah has vowed revenge on Israel in the wake of the device explosions.

The noise took place during live media broadcasts in the area, with Sky correspondant, John Sparks, noting: "I just heard a loud blast from somewhere behind me, I can hear airplanes".

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said yesterday: ‘We are at the start of a new phase in the war — it requires courage, determination and perseverance.’

Andrew Marr speaks to Lebanon's ambassador to the UK | Watch again

The head of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, said earlier in his first public address that the group vowed to retaliate against Israel amid fears of a full-scale war.

Footage shared on social media showed pagers blowing up in people's pockets in supermarkets. Lebanon blamed Israel, who declined to comment.

The two have been trading blows for months against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, and have a history of conflict stretching back decades.

This is a breaking story, more follows…