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The U.S. State Department raised its travel advisory to Lebanon
to level four, which says "Do Not Travel." The State Department
advised Americans in Lebanon to depart if possible.
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
The Middle East has been on the edge for months amid Israel's
war in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands and caused a
humanitarian crisis.
The region faces a risk of a widened conflict. A weekend strike
in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 was blamed
on Iran-backed Hezbollah by the U.S. and Israel. The Lebanese
group denied responsibility.
Hezbollah senior commander Fuad Shukr was killed thereafter in
an Israeli strike on the outskirts of the Lebanese capital in a
Hezbollah stronghold.
KEY QUOTES
"Do Not Travel to Lebanon due to rising tensions between
Hezbollah and Israel," the State Department travel advisory
said.
"If you are in Lebanon, be prepared to shelter in place should
the situation deteriorate. 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."
The travel advisory said the Golan Heights attack "increased the
risk of further escalation" between Israel and Hezbollah.
CONTEXT
The State Department said it considered the threat to U.S.
government personnel in Beirut serious enough to require them to
live and work under strict security.
The department also said that U.S. citizens in Lebanon should be
aware that consular officers from the U.S. Embassy are not
always able to travel to assist them.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Daphne Psaledakis in
Washington; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
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