At the moment, seven countries have called on their citizens to leave Lebanon due to fears of a larger conflict: Germany, Denmark, France, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Sweden and Belgium.

Others will follow suit in the coming hours and days, given the evolving situation in Lebanon. As philenews reported yesterday, US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Verma visited Beirut last weekend and met with US Embassy staff to assess their readiness in case a mass evacuation of American citizens is required. The U.S. official also visited Cyprus and the Incirlik base in Turkey to explore the possibilities of accommodating people evacuated from Lebanon.

Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kombos stressed that Cyprus will continue to serve as a security bridge to ensure the safe evacuation of citizens from any combat zone in the region.

Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas, in his statements to CyBC, mentioned the situation in the region and stressed that “Cyprus can defend itself and defend itself.” He confirmed reports that the National Guard is taking preventive measures in the unlikely event that Cyprus is affected by an escalating confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah.

A source:  kiprinform.com