Israel calls up reservists in response to rising tensions with Hezbollah as ballistic missile fired at Tel Aviv
25 September 2024, 15:54 | Updated: 25 September 2024, 16:32
The Israeli military says it is calling up two reserve brigades for "operational missions" in northern parts of the country and and positioning them closer to the Lebanese border.
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The announcement was made hours after Hezbollah sent a missile from Lebanon towards Tel Aviv for the first time.
The Mossad intelligence HQ was apparently the target.
British Nationals are being advised to get out of Lebanon "now" with PM Sir Keir Starmer saying he is "very worried" about the escalation in fighting.
UK troops have been sent to Cyprus to help in a potential evacuation.
The UN says more than 90,000 people are newly displaced in Lebanon. This is in addition to the 111,696 people have been displaced since October 2023.
So far, in northern Israel, about 60,000 people have been evacuated over attacks by Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Most flights are cancelled after international airlines have suspended their flights from and to Beirut.
Wizz Air, British Airways and Azerbaijan Airlines have all cancelled flights to and from Ben Gurion Airport amid unrest in the Middle East.
In addition, several Middle Eastern airlines have also been forced to re-route for a two-day period in a bid to avoid dangers in the region.
Sir Keir told broadcasters in New York: "I am very worried about the escalation.
"I'm calling for all parties to step back from the brink, to de-escalate. We need a ceasefire so this can be sorted out diplomatically.
"But I have a very important message for British nationals in Lebanon, which is the time to leave is now.
"The contingency plans are being ramped up, but don't wait for those. There are still commercial flights.
"It's very important that they hear my message, which is to leave and to leave immediately."
Troops have already been sent to Cyprus as the British Government is drawing up plans to evacuate British citizens from Lebanon amid the fighting.
Keir Starmer admits to ‘there are certainly questions to be asked’ about Israel’s tactics in Lebanon
The conflict intensified after 4,000 pagers carried by Hezbollah members in Lebanon exploded last Tuesday.
Just one day later, 1,000 walkie-talkies belonging to members of the group explode, in a follow-up attack that saw the blame laid at Israel's door.
Tiny amounts of explosives are thought to have been embedded in the devices during the production process, with the synchronised attack killing at least 12 people and injuring around three thousand more.
