While the government will pay to charter the flight, those wanting to get on it will be expected to pay a fee of £350 per seat…reports Asian Lite News
The government has chartered a commercial flight out of Lebanon for Britons wanting to leave amid escalating violence.
The plane is due to take off from Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday with vulnerable British nationals and their spouses, partners and children under 18 to be prioritised, the Foreign Office said.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the situation in Lebanon “is volatile and has potential to deteriorate quickly” and the safety of British citizens there “continues to be our utmost priority”.
He added: “That’s why the UK government is chartering a flight to help those wanting to leave. It is vital that you leave now as further evacuation may not be guaranteed.”
While the government will pay to charter the flight, those wanting to get on it will be expected to pay a fee of £350 per seat.
Commercial flights are still operating and the Foreign Office has been working with partners to increase capacity to enable British nationals to leave, the department said.
There are concerns about rising violence in the Middle East after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in Israeli airstrikes on Beirut at the weekend.
The Iran-backed militant group responded by saying it is ready to fight should Israel launch a ground offensive, with fears mounting that the escalating hostilities could result in a full-scale regional war.
Earlier on Monday, Lammy said the government had set up a rapid response unit to help the estimated 5,000 British citizens in Lebanon, with 700 troops stationed in Cyprus and seats booked on commercial flights to bring them home.
The foreign secretary urged those wanting to flee to make use of this help immediately, saying the government might not be able to protect them if the conflict escalates.
Asked what he would say to British nationals who have not yet taken his advice, he said: “I urge them to leave because the situation on the ground is fast-moving. While we will do everything we can to protect British nationals and those plans are in place to do so, we cannot anticipate the circumstances of the speed with which we could do that if things escalate in a major way over the coming hours and days.”
It emerged today that Israeli special forces are conducting probing operations inside Lebanon, ahead of a potential ground assault.
There were reports of heavy artillery fire in border towns in southern Lebanon on Monday night, after Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant warned “the next stage in the war against Hezbollah will begin soon”.
Lammy said he spoke to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday evening and they are both “concerned” about the situation and are urging de-escalation.
Asked if military aid could be sent to Israel if it is attacked by Iran, Lammy said he met with the Iranian foreign minister last week and “I was urging Iran to show restraint”.
“As you would expect over the coming hours, we will continue to be in touch with Iran,” he added.
On whether he agrees with US President Joe Biden that the killing of Hassan Nasrallah was a “measure of justice”, Lammy said: “I don’t mourn the death of the head of a proscribed terrorist organisation, but I do mourn the civilians who have lost their lives in the bloodshed over the last few days.”
About 700 UK troops are being deployed to an RAF base in Cyprus in case the military needs to evacuate British citizens from Lebanon, where the situation is deteriorating.
They join several hundred troops already stationed on the island, where the UK has maintained two armed forces bases for more than 60 years.
Having a permanent military presence in the Middle East gives Britain a number of capabilities including previous evacuation missions.
The UK has two military bases on the island of Cyprus, a legacy of its former status as a British colony. When it gained independence from Britain in 1960, part of the agreement was Britain would maintain two “sovereign base areas” at Akrotiri (south west) and Dhekelia (south east). The one in the news at the moment is Akrotiri due to it hosting an RAF squadron.
In addition to the approximately 700 troops that are being sent to RAF Akrotiri to respond to the current crisis around Lebanon and Israel, a number of units are already deployed at the base. Aircraft based there include RAF Typhoons – used this year in strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen – and Puma helicopters.
Two British warships are also in the region and would be used if any evacuation operation is ordered. Border Force and Foreign Office officials will also support the military.
The location of Cyprus, just a short distance from Lebanon, makes it a possible staging post for any evacuation of British citizens from Lebanon, of which there are thousands.
“RAF Akrotiri handles a lot of stuff,” military analyst professor Michael Clarke said. “It can take a lot of troops, a lot of facilities. It’s the obvious place – and it’s about 220 miles away from the Lebanese coast. “So you can helicopter people to ships, or get people to ships and then helicopter them to Akrotiri or helicopter back and forth to Akrotiri. You can get an aircraft in. There’s lots of things you can do.”
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