Farkhund Yousafzai
Beirut, 8 August 2024 (TDI): The UK government has kept more than 1,000 British troops on high alert and ready to evacuate about 16,000 Britons currently in Lebanon amid growing fears of an all-out war.
In response to the UK Foreign Office’s warning that the Middle East situation could deteriorate rapidly, preparations are being underway in case British nationals need to be evacuated from Beirut.
The Foreign Office renewed its call for Britons to leave Lebanon on Saturday, while confirming that preparations were being made to help with any necessary evacuation as hundreds of troops had been dispatched to Cyprus. The UK already has a significant military presence there.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy informed the House of Commons last week that there were nearly 16,000 British nationals in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, hundreds of troops have been put on alert in the UK and are ready for deployment to the region if needed.
According to Saturday’s Foreign Office statement, troops were in the process of being deployed to provide operational support to UK embassies in the region, although the number of military personnel involved was not mentioned.
Hundreds of soldiers, Royal Marine commandos, aviators, and sailors and had already been moved forward to bolster a key Royal Air Force base in Cyprus, which would act as a hub in any evacuation mission, according to media reports.
RAF Typhoon fighter jets already stationed there were involved last April in a mission against an Iranian missile and drone attack on Israel.
A Royal Navy destroyer, HMS Duncan, and a landing ship, RFA Cardigan Bay, are already stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean. RAF helicopters have also been placed on alert.
Tensions in Middle East
Tensions have been growing across the Middle East since the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7.
Hostilities between Israel and its neighbors have escalated following the killing of Hamas’ political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week, in an attack for which Iran blamed Israel.
Haniyeh’s comes came hours after Israel killed Hezbollah’s senior commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.
Iran and Hezbollah have pledged “severe” retaliation against Israel.
