The Department of Foreign Affairs has said it “strongly advises” all Irish citizens still in Lebanon to exit the country as soon as possible due to ongoing volatility in the region.
The Department said that all those still in Lebanon should leave “while commercial options remain available”.
It said that given the “unpredictability” of the situation between Israel and surrounding countries, “events could escalate with very little warning”.
“This could affect exit routes out of Lebanon,” the Department said, adding that should the political or security situation in the region deteriorate further then the State is “likely to be very limited in the assistance that we can provide”.
“Citizens should not rely on evacuation options being possible if commercial options become unavailable,” it said.
While Lebanon has reaffirmed its commitment to UN resolutions, which provide for a shaky peace between itself and Israel, the country has been accused of breaching those resolutions in terms of cross-border clashes with Israel since the outbreak of hostilities between the Israelis and Hamas on October 7.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said that should Irish citizens not be in a position to leave Lebanon at present they should “exercise extreme caution” in their movements and put contingency plans in place “to leave as soon as possible”.
“Citizens should avoid all gatherings and demonstrations, remain vigilant, and follow the instructions of local authorities,” the Department’s advice stated.
It added that since Ireland does not have an embassy in the Lebanese capital Beirut all Irish citizens in Lebanon should register with the Irish embassy in Cairo, Egypt, if they have not already done so.
