South Korea evacuates nearly 100 of its nationals from Lebanon; 2 planes to transport 500 Australians

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) – South Korea evacuated nearly 100 of its nationals from Lebanon on Saturday, while two Australian planes will land in Beirut later in the day to evacuate the country's citizens amid intense Israeli military attacks that spread from the Gaza Strip to southern Lebanon.

Seoul-based Yonhap News reported that 96 South Korean citizens returned from Lebanon on a military plane on Saturday.

One Lebanese national, a family member of a South Korean citizen, was also among those evacuated, it added.

"Our government will continue to closely monitor the situation in Lebanon and the Middle East to ensure the safety of our citizens. We will take all necessary measures to protect them," said the South Korean Foreign Ministry.

There were approximately 130 South Koreans in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, the Australian media reported that about 500 Australian citizens would be flown out of Lebanon on Saturday.

The two charter flights will transport Australian citizens, permanent residents, and their families from Lebanon's capital Beirut to the "nearby island of Cyprus," ABC News reported.

Separately, Indonesia evacuated 65 citizens from Lebanon.

"Currently, 20 Indonesian citizens have safely arrived in Amman (Jordan’s capital). Meanwhile, the fifth wave consisting of 20 Indonesian citizens and 1 Lebanese citizen have safely arrived in Damascus and are heading to Amman," Antara News quoted a senior government official Judha Nugraha as saying.

Earlier on Friday, Malaysia announced the evacuation of five of its citizens from Lebanon.

On Tuesday, China evacuated 80 citizens and their foreign family members from Lebanon, arriving at Cyprus's Port of Limassol.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed over 41,800 people, most of them women and children, following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October.

At least 2,011 people have since been killed, over 9,500 injured, and 1.2 million others displaced, according to Lebanese authorities.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid