Netherlands again urges Dutch to leave Lebanon as other countries start evacuations

The Netherlands has again urged Dutch people in Lebanon to leave while they still can. Several other countries have started evacuations now that Israel launched a ground attack on Lebanon, NOS reports.

Germany sent a military aircraft to Beirut on Monday and returned with 110 embassy staff and family members. The United Kingdom will send a plane to Lebanon on Wednesday to pick up British nationals. The UK is also sending soldiers to Cyprus in case a larger-scale evacuation proves necessary. Bulgaria evacuated 89 people on Monday.

The Netherlands isn’t organizing an evacuation for the time being, the Dutch ambassador to Lebanon, Frank Mollen, told NOS. “That is really a last resort. You only do that if you really have no other option.” He couldn’t say how many Dutch people are in Lebanon but again urged them to leave the country while there are still regular scheduled flights. “Go while you still can.”

Israel launched a ground offensive in Lebanon overnight, claiming to perform “limited and targeted” actions against Hezbollah in the south of the country. Much is unclear about what exactly is happening because journalists are being kept away from the fighting, according to NOS. Witnesses told Reuters that the border town of Aita al-Shaab took heavy fire and light trails of attacks could be seen in nearby Rmeish.