India urges citizens to leave Lebanon amid escalation in Israel conflict

The advisory was issued as Israel continued its attacks across Lebanon that have already killed more than 620 people and injured thousands more.

Updated on: Sep 26, 2024, 12:11:19 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

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India has again urged its citizens to leave Lebanon in view of reports that said Israel is preparing its troops for a possible invasion of the country.

Smoke billows over southern Lebanon amid the ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces. (Reuters Photo)

In an updated advisory issued on Wednesday, the Indian embassy in Beirut also strongly advised Indian nationals not to travel to Lebanon “in view of the recent developments and escalations in the region”.

“All Indian nationals already in Lebanon are also strongly advised to leave Lebanon. Those who remain for any reason are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements and remain in contact with the Embassy of India in Beirut through our email ID: cons.beirut@mea.gov.in or the emergency phone number +96176860128,” the advisory added.

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The updated advisory was issued as Israel continued its attacks across Lebanon that have already killed more than 620 people and injured thousands more. Israel’s military chief Herzi Halevi has told troops that the air strikes on Lebanon will continue to destroy Hezbollah’s infrastructure and to prepare for a possible ground offensive.

According to the website of the Indian embassy in Beirut, there are nearly 4,000 Indian nationals in Lebanon, and a majority of them are employed as workers in companies, the construction sector and agricultural farms.

Also Read | Lebanon: How Israel sent warning texts before bombing Hezbollah locations

Indian Army personnel have also been deployed with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) since November 1998.

On August 1, the Indian embassy had issued an advisory asking citizens to leave Lebanon because of “potential threats in the region” following an escalation of tensions due to the killing of leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More