Sep 23, 2024 - World

U.S. asked Israel to ensure safety of Americans in Lebanon if they are evacuated

Barak Ravid

A family sits with their belongings in the back of a truck as they wait in a traffic jam in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon on September 23, 2024. — A family sits with their belongings in the back of a truck as they wait in a traffic jam in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon on Sept. 23, 2024. Photo: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. asked Israel over the weekend to take steps to ensure the safety of Americans in Lebanon if the U.S. were to evacuate its citizens as fighting escalates between Israel and Hezbollah, two Israeli official and one U.S. official told Axios.

Why it matters: There are thousands of American citizens living and working in Lebanon and a further escalation of the fighting towards war is likely to trigger an evacuation.

The last time the U.S. military evacuated Americans from Lebanon was during the 2006 war.
The Pentagon said in a statement on Monday that "in light of increased tensions in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional US military personnel forward to augment forces already in the region. For operations security reasons, we won't comment on or provide specific details."

Driving the news: On Monday, Lebanon and Israel witnessed the most intense fighting between the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah since the 2006 war.

At least 274 people were killed and more than 1,000 wounded in the most massive wave of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon in decades.
Hezbollah also fired a barrage of missiles towards Israel, including medium-range rockets that reached farther into Israel than previous attacks since Oct. 8.

Behind the scenes: U.S. officials said the Pentagon has been reviewing in recent days its evacuation plans for Americans in Lebanon.

On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin discussed the issue with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant in a phone call and raised the need for "deconfliction" measures in case such an evacuation takes place in order to make sure the IDF doesn't target U.S. citizens or U.S. forces, Israeli and U.S. officials said.

Austin highlighted the importance of making sure the IDF doesn't hit Americans who are evacuating from Lebanon, an Israeli official said.
"Secretary Austin emphasized his concern for the safety and security of U.S. citizens in the region," Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.

What to watch: A U.S. official said that while there has been no decision to move forward with an evacuation, the Israelis are receptive to the U.S. concerns.

The official added that discussions about the issue have taken place between military officials from both sides in recent days.

Add Axios on Google

U.S. asked Israel to ensure safety of Americans in Lebanon if they are evacuated

What to read next