The U.S. State Department raised its travel warning for Lebanon to Level 4—the highest level—on Wednesday, urging citizens not to visit the country. Those already in Southern Lebanon and on the country’s border with Syria should depart immediately, Foggy Bottom said, amid increasing tensions with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group.
“If you are in Lebanon, be prepared to shelter in place should the situation deteriorate,” Foggy Bottom said of Lebanon. “The U.S. embassy strongly encourages U.S. citizens who are already in southern Lebanon, near the borders with Syria and/or in refugee settlements to depart.”
In northern Israel, “the U.S. embassy strongly recommends that U.S. citizens do not travel within 2.5 miles of the Lebanese and Syrian borders,” the State Department added. “Cross-border rocket, missile and drone strikes continue to impact this area daily and have resulted in casualties. The Israeli authorities already restrict travel to these areas.”
The revised travel warnings came amid reports in Hebrew media that leading U.S. and British airlines told passengers that they were canceling flights to Tel Aviv due to the threat of all-out war.
Delta and British Airways reportedly canceled flights until Friday, and United Airlines reportedly did so until Tuesday.
On Wednesday night, Hezbollah announced that its secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah would outline the terror group’s response to Israel’s killing of top commander Fuad Shukr in a public address on Thursday.
Hezbollah has vowed to respond forcefully to the Israeli military action against it, which was a retaliation for the rocket attack that killed 12 children in the Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams on Saturday.
