Denmark urges citizens to leave Lebanon as tensions rise amid Israeli war rhetoric

By Ebad Ahmed

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AA) — Denmark on Thursday called for nationals in Lebanon to leave the country as soon as possible in the wake of its an escalating conflict with Israel.

"If you are a Dane and are currently in Lebanon, we ask you to listen very carefully," said Steen Hommel, head of the Foreign Ministry's Citizen's Service, said in a video posted by the service on X.

"Developments in Lebanon are quite unclear and thus uncertain. Therefore, we advise against all travel to Lebanon, and we strongly encourage you to leave the country if you have the opportunity at this time," he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently threatened the Lebanese group Hezbollah of a "devastating" war if it opens a new front against Israel, currently engaged in an intense bombardment campaign in the Gaza Strip.

Tensions have flared along the Israeli-Lebanese border amid an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah.

The escalation came amid Israeli airstrikes against the Gaza Strip following an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group, Hamas, into Israeli border positions and settlements.

The border clashes have been the deadliest since Hezbollah and Israel fought a full-scale war in 2006, when the Lebanese group struck major Israeli cities with rockets, causing significant damage.

More than 1,000 Lebanese were killed in the war, while much of southern Lebanon — a Hezbollah stronghold — was devastated by Israeli attacks.