Kyiv evacuates first 30 Ukrainians from Lebanon amid escalation in Middle East
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Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) and the Foreign Ministry evacuated 30 Ukrainians from Lebanon on Aug. 3 amid heightened security risks in the Middle East, HUR reported.
Tensions rose after Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran on July 31. Iran accused Israel of carrying out the strike.
A few days earlier, an attack from Lebanon on a village on the Golan Heights reportedly killed 12 children. Israel and the U.S. said the attack had been organized by Hezbollah, a terrorist group based in Lebanon.
After that, Israel struck Beirut, claiming to have killed Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr. Now Israel is on high alert for a possible retaliation from Iran and Hezbollah as the U.S. is sending more warships and fighter jets to the Middle East to bolster defenses, CNN reported.
On Aug. 2, the Foreign Ministry recommended that Ukrainians refrain from traveling to Israel and leave Lebanon.
On the way to Ukraine, the evacuated Ukrainians, 21 women and nine children, have already arrived in Rzeszow, Poland, where they were met by Ukrainian consuls and HUR representatives, according to Ukraine's military intelligence.
The evacuation, ordered by President Volodymyr Zelensky, is ongoing.
"Ukraine became one of the first countries in the world to successfully evacuate its citizens from Lebanon. As in previous cases of crises and armed conflicts abroad, Ukraine demonstrates leadership in caring for its people," the statement by Ukraine's military intelligence read.
Ukrainians who want to leave Lebanon should contact Ukraine's embassy in Lebanon or the Foreign Ministry hotline, HUR said.
Those who decide to stay in the country are advised to refrain from traveling to the areas bordering the Syrian border and the Israeli border south of the Litani River, as well as to several Lebanese refugee camps.
Kyiv voiced support for Israel after it came under a deadly attack by the Hamas terrorist group in October 2023.
As Tel Aviv's subsequent ground invasion of Gaza attracted harsh criticism from much of the international community, Zelensky said in June that Ukraine recognizes both Israel and Palestine, calling for an end to the conflict in Gaza.
