By Leila Nezirevic
LONDON (AA) - Norway’s Foreign Ministry announced Saturday that the country has decided to evacuate some of its diplomats from Lebanon after bombings occurred near its embassy in Beirut amid escalating Israeli airstrikes and attacks on UN peacekeepers.
“The security situation in Lebanon is still very tense and unclear. There have been bombings near the Norwegian embassy in Beirut. Some of the posted Norwegian diplomats are therefore traveling out of Lebanon for a period,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that the embassy now has limited capacity to assist Norwegians still in the country.
The ministry advised all Norwegian citizens to leave Lebanon while it remains possible and warned against any travel to the region.
According to the statement, Norway’s ambassador to Lebanon will remain in Beirut, along with a small number of diplomats, to monitor the situation.
The announcement comes as Israel intensifies its military campaign in Lebanon, targeting what it claims are Hezbollah positions. Israel has also struck UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) sites, leading to casualties among peacekeeping troops. Since Sept. 23, Israel’s airstrikes across Lebanon have reportedly killed over 2,000 people, injured thousands, and displaced more than 1.2 million.
Despite international concerns about a broader regional war, Israel escalated the conflict on Oct. 1 by launching a ground invasion into southern Lebanon, following intensified attacks on both Gaza and Lebanon.