Foreign Nationals Urged to Leave Lebanon Amid "Highly Volatile" Situation

Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, which has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israeli forces since the Gaza war began in October, announced that its fighters launched a barrage of rockets at northern Israel overnight.

Boston Brand Media reported that the urgency for foreign nationals to leave Lebanon grew on Sunday as France warned of a "highly volatile" situation. This warning comes as Iran and its allies prepare to respond to high-profile killings attributed to Israel. Hezbollah, backed by Iran, announced that its fighters launched a barrage of rockets at northern Israel overnight, with the Israeli military confirming that 30 projectiles were fired from Lebanon, most of which were intercepted.

With Israel on high alert for potential major military actions from Tehran-aligned armed groups, including Hezbollah and Hamas, a stabbing attack in a Tel Aviv suburb resulted in two fatalities on Sunday, according to medics and police. The attacker, a Palestinian from the occupied West Bank, was "neutralized" by police and later died in the hospital.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued their bombardment of the Gaza Strip, as witnesses and officials reported ongoing attacks with no end in sight to the nearly 10-month conflict that began with Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel.

In response to the escalating situation, France, Canada, and Jordan have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon. The French foreign ministry issued an urgent advisory for nationals to avoid travel to Lebanon and for those already in the country to arrange their departure "as soon as possible" due to the "highly volatile security context." The United States and Britain have also issued similar warnings.

France also advised its citizens in Iran to "temporarily leave," warning of potential closures of Iranian airspace and airports. Several Western airlines have suspended flights to Lebanon and other regional airports. Qatar Airways announced that its Doha-Beirut route would operate only during daylight hours at least until Monday.

The recent killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, following the Israeli assassination of Hezbollah's military chief in Beirut, has led to vows of retaliation from Iran and its allies. While Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of the attack on Haniyeh, Israel has not directly commented on the incident.

Shelters for the displaced targeted

Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas in response to the group's unprecedented October 7 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Additionally, operatives captured 251 hostages, 111 of whom are still held captive in Gaza, including 39 that the military reports as deceased.

Israel's campaign against Hamas has resulted in at least 39,583 deaths in Gaza, according to the territory's health ministry, though they do not specify the number of civilian versus operative casualties.

Haniyeh, Hamas's political leader and the main negotiator in efforts to end the conflict, was killed, casting doubt on the viability of ongoing truce and hostage exchange efforts mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.

Fighting persisted in Gaza on Sunday, with reports of strikes, shelling, and gunfire in and around Gaza City and in the southern parts of the territory. The Israeli military reported that its air forces had targeted "approximately 50 terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip" in the past 24 hours.

The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that eight bodies were recovered from a residential building in north Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp after an Israeli air strike. Medics at Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in central Gaza reported at least five fatalities and 16 injuries from an Israeli drone strike on tents housing displaced Palestinians at the medical complex. A separate attack on a nearby house killed three people.

On Saturday, an Israeli strike on a school being used as a displacement shelter killed at least 17 people, according to the civil defense agency. Israel stated that the facility was being used by operatives.

Unrestricted War

Analysts have indicated to AFP that a coordinated yet measured response from Iran and its allies is likely, while Tehran anticipates that Hezbollah will target deeper into Israel beyond just military sites.

In response, the United States, an ally of Israel, plans to deploy warships and fighter jets to the region. When asked if he thought Iran would de-escalate, President Joe Biden said, "I hope so. I don't know."

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi is scheduled to visit Tehran for discussions on "the situation in the region," according to Amman.

Israeli military leader Rafi Gilo emphasized the military's determination to continue its operations until the security situation in the north is fundamentally altered, stating, "We are prepared for any scenario and any response."

The International Crisis Group (ICG) reported that Haniyeh's death has brought the Middle East to its highest level of danger in years. They noted that the risk of a war "without constraints" is now greater than it was in April, when Iran launched a missile and drone attack on Israel in response to a strike on its consulate in Damascus.

The ICG suggests that achieving "a long overdue ceasefire" in Gaza is the best way to reduce regional tensions.

Hamas officials, analysts, and some Israeli protesters have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of extending the conflict to protect his right-wing coalition. On Sunday, Netanyahu assured his cabinet that he is "making every effort" to return the hostages and is willing to "go a long way" to achieve this.

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Source: NDTV‍