As the dark shadows of regional conflict loom in the Middle East, the Australian government has requested its more than 15,000 citizens residing in Lebanon to leave the country for safety.
Australia’s Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, urged people in Lebanon to leave the country following the killing of a Hezbollah commander in the country’s capital and the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran.
Minister Wong said that her message to Australian citizens and residents in Lebanon was that now is the time to leave. She also requested that if any Australians are thinking of traveling to Lebanon, they refrain from doing so due to the prevailing situation in the country.
According to the Minister, since certain commercial flights are still operating, those who have the ability to leave should leave Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the Australian government also expressed that it expects the Beirut airport to be shut down if a broader conflict breaks out, cutting off the main route to leave the country.
If the Beirut airport is closed, the option is using ferries to get people out of Lebanon by taking them to Cyprus. This method was used to evacuate more than 5,000 Australians during the 2006 Lebanon War. However, Australian officials are emphasizing that there is no assurance that such a major rescue operation will be carried out if a large-scale war breaks out.
Meanwhile, some Australian reports indicate that the real number of Australians residing in Lebanon could be as high as 20,000 or even 30,000.
Following the escalation, the United States and the United Kingdom also issued similar warnings for their citizens residing in Lebanon.
The death of the Hamas leader escalated the situation as they vowed to take revenge for the death of their leader.
If the situation escalates, it could affect the entire Middle East, leading to a global crisis, including a fuel price hike and subsequent economic crisis.
