SMARTRAVELLER, a travel advisory page run by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), updated its travel advice for Lebanon to “do not travel” due to the volatile security situation and the risk of it deteriorating further.
As of Thursday, the 19th of October, Australian citizens who want to leave the Arab country are advised to take the first available commercial flight as soon as they can.
According to the advisory, terrorist attacks could occur anytime and anywhere, including in the nation’s capital Beirut.
Last week, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong urged any Australians in Lebanon to leave due to serious concerns about the security situation in the Middle Eastern country.
Clashes erupted anew at the Israel-Lebanon border amid fears the Hamas-Israel war could spread to another front.
Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon have engaged in a series of clashes since the latest conflict in Gaza broke out.
The Lebanese group backed by Iran said that 10 militants have already died since the clashes started about a week ago.
Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the massive explosion at a crowded hospital in Gaza which killed at least 500 people.
Israel and Hamas trade blame as the death toll from the attack continues to rise.
“We condemn any indiscriminate attacks and targeting of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals. And Australia joins others in calling for international law to always be upheld,” according to Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia.
As per government data, an estimated 15,000 Australians live in Lebanon, and about 250,000 Australians claim Lebanese ancestry based on the 2021 census.
