State Department ups calls for Americans in Lebanon to ‘leave now’

The Biden administration on Friday issued a new recommendation for U.S. citizens to “leave now” from Lebanon — while flights are still available.

The advisory comes as the security situation remains “unpredictable” in the Middle East, as the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas continues in Gaza.

The State Department included a list of flights from Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport for Americans who wanted to leave. Officials reiterated that they shouldn’t rely on government assistance.

“The best time to leave a country is before a crisis if at all possible. U.S. military-assisted evacuations of civilians from a foreign country are rare,” the administration wrote. “There is no guarantee the U.S. government will evacuate private U.S. citizens and their family members in a crisis situation.”

The U.S. government is unable to provide certain types of transportation and also cannot evacuate pets alongside U.S. citizens in times of crisis, the advisory states.

Renewed calls for Americans to leave the region follow increased tensions between the Israeli military and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, which operates out of Lebanon. The State Department issued a similar recommendation earlier this month after attacks broke out between the two groups along Israel’s border.

The news also follows updates from the Israeli military that it will expand its activity in Gaza after completing two raids in the territory this week.

Officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, have tiptoed around answering questions regarding an expected ground invasion, humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza and threats of a wider conflict in the region. 

On Friday, Blinken said the U.S. and others can provide aid and support to the region, but finding a solution ultimately falls on the Middle Eastern countries.

“The only road to lasting peace and security in the region is through two states for two peoples,” Blinken wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Even as we address this immediate crisis, we must redouble our collective efforts to build an enduring political solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.”

The war began on Oct. 7 after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,400 Israelis and taking more than 200 people hostage.

In subsequent attacks, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate until all of the hostages are freed, more than 7,000 civilians in Gaza have been killed, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry.