Countries rush to evacuate citizens from Lebanon

Türkiye has finalized its preparations for evacuation operations from Lebanon, Turkish defense sources said on Oct. 3, with a growing number of countries planning flights to extricate their citizens amid Israel's ground incursion into its northern neighbors' territory.

Tel Aviv's ground operation into Lebanon and Iran's retaliatory missile attack on Israel fueled tension in the Middle East, prompting countries to launch evacuation operations.

"The Turkish Armed Forces have completed the planning and preparations for the safe evacuation of our citizens and foreign nationals from Lebanon. Should the evacuation be initiated, the relevant authorities of our state will provide the necessary announcements," the sources stated.

The Defense Ministry is closely monitoring developments in Lebanon in coordination with the Foreign Ministry, they added.

In a report on Oct. 3, daily Milliyet, citing sources, revealed that there are approximately 13,000 officially registered Turkish nationals in Lebanon, though the actual number is estimated to be around 27,000 when unregistered individuals are accounted for.

The report highlighted that some of these citizens are of Arab descent and have been residing in Lebanon for decades, noting that the scope of the evacuation will depend on the number of those willing to depart the country. Türkiye is prepared to carry out the evacuation by both sea and land routes, it added.

Alongside Türkiye, several nations unveiled their evacuation endeavors as the media reported heightened tension amid the first reported clashes in Lebanon's south.

The United States organized a flight from Beirut to Istanbul to facilitate the departure of a group of Americans.

The initial flight carrying...