Tánaiste Micheál Martin has made a renewed appeal to Irish citizens in Lebanon to leave the country by commercial means while it is still possible because of rising tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border and fears of war between the two countries.
Mr Martin, who is also Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the department has done “significant contingency planning to prepare for a possible consular crisis as a result of an escalation in Lebanon” between Israeli forces and Hizbullah militants.
He said “an evacuation of civilians, including Irish citizens, from Lebanon is likely to be a complex and difficult operation and will require extensive co-operation with key partners”.
The department is working closely with EU partners and “with colleagues in the United Kingdom, with whom we expect to co-operate closely in the event of an evacuation”.
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An estimated 100 Irish citizens and their dependents are living in Lebanon. “Many are long-term residents and do not plan to leave unless the situation deteriorates significantly. This does not include Irish military personnel assigned through UN tasking as UNIFIL,” he told Independent TD Cathal Berry, a former Army captain.
The Kildare South TD raised the issue amid rising concerns for a possible war and as news emerged of comments by Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant. He warned that his country’s military is capable of taking Lebanon “back to the stone age” in any war with Hizbullah militants but insisted that his government prefers a diplomatic solution.
Mr Berry, asked if “civilian airspace is closed and only military aircraft are allowed to land in Beirut, has consideration been given to preparing an Air Corps aircraft on the military register to be able to be deployed”.
The Tánaiste said that if the situation deteriorated significantly “in essence if there is a war between Hizbullah and Israel, our aircraft options will be very limited, by definition, because that could become a war zone very quickly”.
“Part of the co-ordination and the work that is under way is looking at all mechanisms and approaches that could be taken.”
Mr Martin added: “Everybody is aware of what could happen and the potential for something happening. There is increased concern now about the possibility, from which, by the way, I would urge both sides to step back.
“There has been enough killing, death and destruction and it is civilians, such as women and children, who suffer the most. The last thing Lebanon needs now is a war. We are working with EU partners and the United Kingdom to make sure we can get out our citizens.”
He added that the government of Cyprus has a plan in place for it to act as a “transit hub for third-country nationals fleeing Lebanon, and we also have memorandums of understanding with the UK and other countries. This will be a co-ordinated approach.”
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