On Sunday, France urged its citizens in Lebanon to depart the country immediately due to concerns about a potential full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah, and a wider regional conflict.
The French foreign ministry advised in its travel advisory for Lebanon that despite the highly unstable security situation, direct commercial flights and those with layovers to France remain operational. French nationals, especially those traveling through, are encouraged to arrange their departure promptly.
This call to action by Paris mirrors similar advisories from Washington and London, which have also urged their citizens to leave since Saturday. France believes approximately 23,000 of its nationals reside in Lebanon, with around 10,000 visiting the country last month. Sweden has also closed its embassy in Beirut and advised its citizens to leave.
Previously, the French foreign ministry had noted the availability of commercial flights to France without explicitly advising nationals to leave. However, on Sunday, it strongly urged French citizens not to travel to Lebanon, citing urgent concerns about a regional escalation following threats from Iran and its allies in response to the assassination of Hamas's political leader, which they attribute to Israel.
Tehran, along with Hamas and Hezbollah, has accused Israel of assassinating Ismail Haniyeh. This accusation follows the killing of Hezbollah's military leader, Fouad Chokr, near Beirut by an Israeli strike. In response, Hezbollah launched multiple Katyusha rockets into Israel, claiming it was retaliation for Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israel is prepared for any scenario, both defensively and offensively.
