Dependants of UN international staff in Lebanon to be evacuated

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Dependants of internationally recruited UN staff in Lebanon are being evacuated from the country until further notice amid fears of further regional escalations.

The UN's security team announced the decision in a communique on Thursday, following a review the day before.

The communique, seen by The National, said there would be an “implementation of 'family restrictions' for internationally recruited staff until further notice, subject to periodic assessment”. It is understood that the phrase “family restrictions” is UN language for the evacuation of dependants.

Evacuations are planned to begin as soon as possible, starting on Friday. It is the first time since hostilities broke out on the Lebanese border with Israel on October 8 that dependants of international UN staff have been evacuated from Lebanon.

Although a well-placed source said many dependants were already outside Lebanon, the decision signifies the uncertain situation in Lebanon.

On October 17, the UN denied media reports that staff members and their families were being evacuated.

Several UN agencies work across Lebanon.

“The UN is not evacuating. What is happening is a normal management tool to address the UN footprint in the country, while also taking advantage of the summer season,” an official for the Office of the UN Special Co-ordinator for Lebanon said.

Similar evacuations took place in 2006, when Israel and Hezbollah fought a month-long war that caused extensive damage across Lebanon.

Tens of thousands of foreign and dual nationals were evacuated by their governments via the Mediterranean Sea, while many Lebanese were displaced or fled to Syria.

Several governments have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon since October, but have reissued and increased the intensity of their warnings in recent days.

Israel and Hezbollah have been engaged in a conflict since October 8 that initially was confined to the border area but has gradually expanded in its scope and intensity.

The fighting has run in parallel to Israel's war on Gaza, after Hamas launched an unprecedented and deadly incursion into southern Israel on October 7.

However, there are now fears it could expand further and spiral into a full-on war.

Hezbollah has warned it will respond against Israel after the latter assassinated a top Hezbollah commander in the south of Beirut on Tuesday. Israel also killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday night.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned on Thursday that Israel had crossed a red line by targeting Beirut and killing the commander, Fouad Shukr. He said the conflict with Israel had moved to a new stage.

Israel had blamed Hezbollah for the killing of 12 Druze children in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday. The group denies responsibility.