Government calls on Dutch citizens in Lebanon to leave the country

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has again called on Dutch people in Lebanon to leave the country. "In recent days, the situation has deteriorated further, and the risk of escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has increased further," the Dutch embassy in Beirut wrote in an email. The travel advice for Lebanon remains code red.

In de afgelopen dagen is de situatie in #Libanon verder verslechterd. De kans op escalatie van het conflict tussen Hezbollah en Israël is toegenomen. Wij roepen Nederlanders daarom nogmaals op om Libanon zo snel mogelijk te verlaten, nu dat nog kan. https://t.co/egRCZ1EAFr

— Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken (@MinBZ) August 4, 2024

Last Sunday, after the rocket attack on the village of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a similar message to Dutch citizens in Lebanon. Just like this time, the embassy in Beirut wrote: "If the situation in Lebanon deteriorates further, you should take into account that it will no longer be possible to leave the country. In that case, communication channels such as internet and telephone may also fail."

According to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there is daily shelling and bombing in the border area between Lebanon and Israel. As the situation becomes increasingly threatening, there are concerns that the conflict could escalate. The advice remains "to leave the country while you still can." An escalation can happen suddenly, according to the embassy. "The decision to stay or to leave is your own responsibility."

Therefore, the ministry considers the situation in Lebanon to be unpredictable and urges Dutch nationals to leave the country as soon as possible.