South Korea, Australia evacuate nationals from Lebanon

Amid escalating Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, South Korea and Australia have ramped up evacuation efforts to ensure the safety and evacuation of their citizens.

The evacuations come as Israel intensifies its attacks on Lebanon, raising concerns about a broader regional war.

On Saturday, South Korea evacuated nearly 100 of its citizens from Lebanon. According to Yonhap News, a total of 96 South Korean nationals, along with one Lebanese citizen, a family member of a South Korean, were flown out of Beirut on a military plane.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry assured that it would continue to monitor the situation closely and take all necessary measures to protect its citizens.

Approximately 130 South Koreans were reported to be in Lebanon at the time of the evacuations.

Meanwhile, Australia has also initiated large-scale evacuation efforts.

Two planes are set to transport around 500 Australians, including citizens, permanent residents, and their families, from Beirut to the nearby island of Cyprus.

These chartered flights are part of Australia’s broader evacuation plan, which has been ongoing for several weeks as tensions in the region worsened.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged all Australians in Lebanon to leave immediately, citing the deteriorating security conditions.

Australia has already stationed military aircraft in Cyprus as a contingency in case the situation further escalates.

Indonesia has also joined in the evacuation efforts, with 65 citizens having been evacuated from Lebanon so far.

The Indonesian government is coordinating further evacuation efforts to ensure the safety of its nationals.

Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have targeted Hezbollah positions and other infrastructure, leading to mounting casualties including the death of Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Lebanese authorities report that at least 2,011 people have been killed, over 9,500 injured, and 1.2 million displaced since the conflict began.

Israeli forces have also hit residential areas in southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs, further increasing civilian casualties.

The Israeli attacks on Lebanon come amidst tel Aviv's brutal onslaught on Gaza.

The death toll in Gaza has also been catastrophic, with more than 41,800 Palestinians, mostly civilians, killed in Israeli attacks since October 7 last year.

The international community has expressed growing alarm over the potential for this conflict to escalate into a wider regional war and has called for an immediate ceasefire.

The continuous exchange of strikes between Hezbollah and Israel has raised fears of a full-scale conflict in Lebanon, similar to the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Efforts by multiple nations to evacuate their citizens highlight the increasing volatility in the region.

As tensions remain high, foreign governments continue to advise their citizens to leave Lebanon while commercial flights and evacuation routes remain operational.