Without updating its official travel guidance for Lebanon which remains at only "Level 3: Reconsider," the U.S. embassy in Beirut on Monday released a semi-official warning for Americans in the country in the wake of a Hezbollah terrorist strike that killed teenagers on a soccer field in northern Israel over the weekend and as the IDF weighs its retaliatory options.
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Rena Bitter delivered the video warning posted online in which she called Lebanon a "valued friend of the United States" and claimed "Washington is laser-focused" on the country essentially taken over by Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists.
The State Department, Bitter insisted, has "no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas." After the Biden-Harris administration's chaotic and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan, that's a tough claim to make.
Calling the reality on the ground in Lebanon "complex" and "quickly changing," Bitter urged Americans in the country to "develop a crisis plan of action" and to "leave before a crisis begins," preferably via regular scheduled commercial flights. Anyone who doesn't leave while commercial air travel is available should "be prepared to shelter in place for long periods of time," Bitter warned.
A reminder to U.S. citizens in Lebanon to enroll in STEP and other preparedness recommendations to keep you and your loved ones safe. A message from Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Rena Bitter.@TravelGov pic.twitter.com/OZNugd0bCc
— U.S. Embassy Beirut (@usembassybeirut) July 29, 2024
This warning from the State Department — which still hasn't updated its travel advisory since January 29 even as other Western nations told their citizens to evacuate earlier this summer — seems to be a bit late.
On Sunday, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut issued a security alert calling attention "to the fact that amid heightened tension in the region, some airlines are adjusting their flight schedules in Lebanon."
Lebanon: Amid heightened tension in the region, some airlines are adjusting their flight schedules in Lebanon. Middle East Airlines (MEA) has announced that some flights originally due to land in Beirut on the evening of July 28 will now land on the morning of July 29. Other… pic.twitter.com/VWmQGsRhqF
— Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) July 28, 2024
Air France, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, and Aegean Airlines were among the major carriers that canceled flights over the weekend.