The governments of more than a dozen nations worldwide are urging their citizens to ‘get outta Dodge’ before it’s too late.
The governments of at least 17 countries are warning their citizens to leave Lebanon and not to travel to the Levantine nation as the likelihood of war between Israel and Hezbollah draws closer.
The list of nations that have issued warnings includes:
Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, North Macedonia, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States.
In addition, various airlines have also paused their flights to and from Lebanon.
The probability of war intensified this weekend after Iran’s Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, launched a Falaq-1 missile carrying a warhead with 53 kilograms (117 pounds) of explosives at a stadium in the northern Israeli Druze village of Majdal Shams, in the Golan Heights.
The missile landed right in the middle of dozens of children racing to the nearby bombshell but who had been playing soccer in a youth league game.
Twelve children ages 10 to 18 were killed outright, and dozens of others were wounded, including many in serious and critical condition.
It was the worst attack on Israeli civilians since October 7th, and some local residents in the Druze village have been angrily calling on the Israel Defense Forces to “burn Lebanon” in retaliation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short his visit to the United States and headed back to Israel immediately after he was briefed on the tragedy by his military secretary.
Upon landing at Ben Gurion International Airport, Netanyahu went straight to the IDF’s Kirya headquarters for a pre-cabinet briefing in which plans for a response to the attack were finalized. Israel’s security cabinet met following that briefing in an hours-long gathering.
Those attending the meeting authorized the prime minister and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to “decide on the manner and timing of the response against the Hezbollah terrorist organization,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
The wording of the PMO statement suggests — at the very least — a massive retaliation against the Iranian proxy, possibly along the lines of the response to the Houthi attack on Tel Aviv earlier this month. It could finally trigger an all-out war when Hezbollah attacks in response.
Regional players who have up to this point largely ignored the past ten months of daily Hezbollah rocket, missile and explosive drone attacks against Israel have suddenly awakened and are frantically messaging and calling Lebanese and Israeli officials in a desperate attempt to keep the conflict from spiraling into a region-wide war.
Whether that can be prevented at this point is anyone’s guess.
