Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, October 19, 2023
From the Liveblog of
Thursday, October 19, 2023
US, UK call on their citizens to leave Lebanon while flights ‘remain available’
Smoke rises following an Israeli artillery strike in al-Bustan, a Lebanese border village with Israel, south Lebanon, Oct. 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
The US and British embassies in Beirut advise their citizens to leave Lebanon while flights “remain available” as border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah intensify.
Both countries had already warned citizens against travel to Lebanon.
“We recommend that US citizens in Lebanon make appropriate arrangements to leave the country; commercial options currently remain available,” a US embassy statement says.
A similar warning is issued by the British embassy which says: “If you are currently in Lebanon, we encourage you to leave now while commercial options remain available.”
“British nationals should exercise caution and avoid areas where demonstrations may be held,” it adds.
