ADDS STATEMENT FROM TüRKIYE's FOREIGN MINISTRY; CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE
By Yasin Gungor and Esra Tekin
ISTANBUL (AA) – Türkiye and Italy issued travel advisories Sunday for their citizens who are in Lebanon or plan to travel there amid an escalation of tensions following the assassinations of a top commander of Hezbollah and the political chief of Hamas.
“Our citizens in Lebanon are advised to exercise caution and avoid traveling to the regions of Nabatieh, South Lebanon, Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel unless absolutely necessary,” Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The statement also advised citizens to leave Lebanon “if their presence is not essential” while commercial flights are still available.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani urged Italians in Lebanon to avoid the south and return home by commercial flights in a statement on X.
Similarly, Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised against traveling to Lebanon, Iran and Israel, recommending the immediate departure from Lebanon and increased vigilance.
All three countries cited safety and security concerns due to the deteriorating situation in the region.
Earlier in the day, the French Embassy in Beirut urged French citizens to leave Lebanon as soon as possible.
On Saturday, the US and UK warned their nationals to leave Lebanon immediately amid concerns over a wider escalation of the conflict with Israel.
Tensions between the Lebanese Hezbollah group and Israel have risen since Tel Aviv killed senior military commander Fuad Shukr in an airstrike on a southern suburb of the capital Beirut on Tuesday.
The following day, the Palestinian resistance group Hamas's political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran, allegedly by Israel, though Tel Aviv has not confirmed or denied responsibility.