The UK government has arranged a commercial flight from Lebanon to assist British nationals seeking to escape the escalating conflict in the region, Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced. He described the situation as “volatile” and indicated it could “deteriorate quickly,” especially following Israel’s announcement of a “localized and targeted” ground operation in southern Lebanon.
The flight is scheduled to depart from Beirut on Wednesday and will prioritize vulnerable individuals. British nationals, along with their spouses, partners, and children under 18, are eligible to take the flight. The UK government will cover the cost of chartering the flight, but passengers will be required to pay a fee of £350 per seat.
Last week, it was estimated that between 4,000 and 6,000 UK nationals, including dependents, were in Lebanon. Those interested in securing a spot on the flight must request one through the appropriate channels. Non-British dependents will need a visa, valid for at least six months, to enter the UK.
Further flights may be scheduled in the coming days depending on demand and the security situation, according to the Foreign Office. Lammy emphasized that the safety of British nationals remains the government’s top priority, urging those in Lebanon to leave as the situation on the ground evolves rapidly. “While we will do everything we can to protect British nationals… we cannot anticipate the circumstances and the speed with which we can act if things escalate significantly,” he stated.
Shortly after this announcement, the Israeli military confirmed the initiation of a “limited, localized, and targeted” ground operation against Hezbollah, an Iran-backed armed group, and carried out airstrikes in a southern suburb of Beirut, advising residents to evacuate.
Meanwhile, 37-year-old Victoria Lupton is planning to leave Lebanon with her young family on Wednesday, but not on the flight arranged by the UK government.
“A week ago, the British government emailed us saying we should be buying our own flight, which was quite a difficult message to receive because there were no flights to be had,” Victoria Lupton told the BBC on Tuesday. She eventually managed to secure a flight to Athens, scheduled to leave tomorrow. However, late last night, the British government informed her that they had chartered a flight to Birmingham, but it was also leaving tomorrow, so she decided to stick with her existing flight.
Lupton, the founder and chief executive of Seenaryo—a non-profit organization focused on educating Middle Eastern women and children through theatre and play—expressed her anxiety about the situation. “I’m feeling sick. All of us are feeling sick and living in a state of terror,” she said. “I have a three-year-old, and I was moving my daughter’s cot as far away as possible from the windows to make sure she didn’t get hit. None of us are sleeping. We are only sleeping a few hours a night. It’s a very, very difficult, worrying time.”
The Israeli government has stated that the goal of its military operation is to enable 60,000 displaced Israelis to return to their homes. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has announced that its fighters are prepared to confront any Israeli invasion. According to officials in Lebanon, over 1,000 people have been killed in the past two weeks, with up to a million people now displaced.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy spoke with his US counterpart Antony Blinken on Monday, urging “de-escalation” amid escalating tensions. He reiterated that the UK would maintain communication with Iran and called for a 21-day ceasefire to improve the chances of a political solution. His remarks follow an earlier statement from Sir Keir Starmer, who advised British nationals in Lebanon to “leave immediately” as the fighting intensified. While Britons had been urged to book flights out of the country, options were limited, as most airlines, except the national carrier, had canceled their flights.
The Ministry of Defence has deployed nearly 700 troops to Cyprus in preparation for a possible evacuation of British nationals from Lebanon, as the government continues to advise against all travel to Lebanon. Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 last year, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the kidnapping of 251 others.
In response, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has reportedly killed more than 41,000 people, according to the health ministry run by Hamas. The conflict escalated further on October 8, when Hezbollah began firing at Israeli positions in solidarity with Hamas, launching over 8,000 rockets at northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. They have also utilized anti-tank missiles and explosive drones against Israeli military targets.
Families of hostages in Gaza, along with relatives of British-Israelis killed during the October 7 attacks, held a news conference in London following a memorial event at Downing Street. They expressed feelings of being let down by the government and urged it to take more action to secure the release of their loved ones. Earlier, they had met with Sir Keir Starmer and David Lammy to discuss their concerns.
