Indian Embassy Advises Caution to Indians Amid Rising Tensions in Lebanon
The Embassy of India in Lebanon called upon all citizens of India living in Lebanon to be vigilant and maintain constant touch with the mission amid rising tensions between Israel and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah. Violence erupted along the border starting October 8 of last year, and now hostilities have escalated sharply.
The conflict reached its peak on Saturday with a Hezbollah rocket attack on a soccer field in Israel, killing at least 12 children and teenagers. It was the deadliest assault on an Israeli target near the northern border since clashes erupted, and it fuelled fears of a wider regional conflict.
Against this backdrop, the Indian Embassy in Beirut issued an advisory exhorting all Indian nationals living in Lebanon or proposing to visit Lebanon to exercise caution. The embassy recommended that regular contact might be maintained through their e-mail, cons.beirut@mea.gov.in, or the emergency telephone number, +96176860128.
Although Israeli authorities blamed Hezbollah for the rocket attack, the guerrilla group denied responsibility for the event. The situation remains highly incandescent, with warnings by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz of a full-scale war, saying that Hezbollah crossed all red lines and that it will be dealt with severely.
