Iran has pledged “severe” revenge against Israel, blaming it for the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday. Israel has not responded.
His assassination came just hours after Israel killed Hezbollah’s senior commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.
Western authorities are concerned that Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia and political force based in Lebanon, may play a prominent role in any reprisal, potentially prompting a serious Israeli response.
The United States and other Western countries continue to make diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.
An increasing number of flights have been canceled or halted at the country’s sole.
The US, the UK, Australia, France, Canada, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Turkey, and Jordan have all urged their residents to evacuate Lebanon as quickly as possible.
Fears of an escalation of hostilities engulfing Lebanon have grown since Hezbollah increased its attacks on Israel, a day after Hamas launched deadly attacks on southern Israel on October 7 in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
The majority of the violence has occurred at the border, with both sides claiming a lack of interest in a larger conflict.
However, Hezbollah has threatened to respond to Shukr’s death in Dahiyeh, the group’s stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
