Israeli-Palestinian conflict: ​ Belgium recommends citizens leave Lebanon

The Foreign Ministry is adapting its travel advice for Lebanon and will advise Belgian citizens to leave the country, the office of Defence minister Ludivine Dedonder said on Friday. The new advice will soon be published on the Foreign Affairs website.

During a meeting of the federal government, Dedonder referred to the possible deterioration of the situation in southern Lebanon. The risk assessment is linked to Israel's offensive in Gaza and is based on information from military intelligence. Non-essential travel has been advised against since Monday.

Other countries have already adopted similar measures. The United States, the United Kingdom and Germany on Thursday urged their citizens to leave the country while commercial flights are still available. Saudi Arabia did the same on Wednesday and Canada made a similar appeal on Tuesday. Israel decided on Friday to evacuate the border town of Kiryat Shmona.

Since the Hamas attack in Israel two weeks ago, there has been daily shelling on the border between Lebanon's Hezbollah militia (a Hamas ally) and the Israeli army.

^{Defence minister Ludivine Dedonder © BELGA PHOTO JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE}