LONDON, Sept 30 – Britain’s foreign minister, David Lammy, repeated calls for an immediate ceasefire as reports suggested that the conflict between Israel and Lebanon might get worse. On Monday, he spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the crisis.
“We’ve both seen the reports in the media about a next phase for Israel in Lebanon,” Lammy said in Sky News amid mounting signs that Israel was poised to launch ground troops into Lebanon.
“We both agreed that the best way to move forward, as we talked about at the U.N. last week, is to stop fighting right away and go back to talking about a political solution,” his office said. Earlier in the day, the prime minister’s spokesman pleaded with all parties concerned to behave themselves and exercise restraint.
Lammy also reflected the government’s message to urge British citizens to leave Lebanon.
“We have secured places on commercial flights flying tomorrow so UK nationals can leave. I urge them to leave because the situation on the ground is fast-moving,” he said.
“While we will do everything we can to protect British nationals, and those plans are in place to do so, we cannot anticipate the circumstances and the speed with which we could do that if things escalate in a major way over the coming hours and days.”
In a statement, the government said it has also chartered another flight to meet any additional demand from British nationals and their dependents wanting to leave the Middle Eastern country. That flight departs from Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday.
“Whereas we would do everything we possibly can to protect British nationals, and those plans are in place to do so, we cannot predict the circumstances and the pace with which we could do that if things do escalate in a major way over the coming hours and days.”
A statement said it had chartered a flight to help meet any additional demand from British nationals and their dependants wanting to leave the Middle Eastern country. That flight is due to leave Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday.
