Iran’s pledge to retaliate for the assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah military chief Fuad Shukr is escalating fears of a regional conflict.
Several Western nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately as tensions mount in the Middle East following the assassination of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh, an act Iran attributes to Israel and the US.
The killing of Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday, shortly after the Israeli assassination of Hezbollah’s military chief Fuad Shukr in Beirut, has prompted vows of revenge from Iran and its allies within the “axis of resistance.”
Since October, when Hamas coordinated a rare attack within Israeli territory, resulting in approximately 1,139 deaths and the abduction of around 240 individuals, Hezbollah and the Israeli army have been exchanging cross-border fire.
Groups backed by Iran from Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria have already been involved in Israel’s near 10-month conflict in Gaza. However, the recent assassinations of Haniyeh and Shukr have exacerbated concerns about a wider regional war.
On Saturday, the US, a key ally of Israel, announced it would deploy additional warships and fighter jets to the region and advised its citizens in Lebanon to leave using “any ticket available.”
The US embassy in Beirut also recommended that nationals prepare contingency plans if they opt to stay in Lebanon and be ready for potential long-term sheltering.
The UK’s Foreign Office similarly advised its citizens in Lebanon to depart “now while commercial options remain available.”
“Tensions are high, and the situation could deteriorate rapidly,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated. “Although we are working tirelessly to bolster our consular presence in Lebanon, my message to British nationals there is clear – leave now.”
On Sunday, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs issued a travel advisory, urging its citizens in Lebanon to leave “as soon as possible” due to the risk of military escalation.
“In this highly volatile security context, we once again warn French nationals, particularly those merely passing through, that direct commercial flights and those with stopovers to France are still accessible,” the ministry noted.
Canada also advised its nationals to avoid all travel to Israel. “The security situation can deteriorate further without warning,” the Canadian government cautioned in a travel advisory.
Escalating tensions have also led major airlines, including Dutch airline KLM, Lufthansa, Emirates, Air France, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and Swiss Airlines, to suspend their flights to Israel, Iran, and Lebanon.
“Many Lebanese are emigrants, and some came for their summer vacations,” reported Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem from Beirut. “With many airlines canceling and flights being disrupted, people will want to leave as soon as possible before retaliation begins.”
He noted that the Lebanese prime minister has already asserted the country’s right to retaliate against any aggression.
“Lebanon is currently without a president and has a caretaker prime minister. Similar to the airport disruptions, there is a disruption in governance. This is why there aren’t many government officials speaking out or reacting.”
Early on Sunday, over 50 rockets were fired from southern Lebanon into northern Israel. Explosions were observed over the Upper Galilee area as Israel deployed its missile defense system to intercept the rockets.
The rocket attacks followed Israeli airstrikes on multiple locations in southern Lebanon overnight, as reported by Lebanese media on Sunday.
“Israeli warplanes conducted an air raid on the outskirts of the Al Mahmudiyah area, followed by a second airstrike east of Kafr Rumman,” stated the Lebanese National News Agency.
On Saturday, Iran indicated that it expects Hezbollah to strike deeper inside Israel, beyond just military targets.
Meanwhile, Israel targeted tents housing displaced Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza’s Deir el-Balah, resulting in at least three deaths and 18 injuries. This attack occurred hours after a strike on a Gaza City school-turned-shelter killed 17 individuals.
At least 39,550 Palestinians have been killed and 91,280 others wounded in Israel’s ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.