US urges citizens to not travel to Lebanon, citing Israel-Hezbollah tensions
Adds quotes from travel advisory and background on conflict from paragraph 2 onward
By Kanishka Singh and Daphne Psaledakis
WASHINGTON, July 31 (Reuters) -The United States on Wednesday urged its citizens to not travel to Lebanon, citing rising tensions between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group.
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 Hezbollahand 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
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
