Switzerland concerned by escalation of violence in Lebanon
Switzerland is "deeply concerned" by the escalating violence in Lebanon. On Tuesday, the Swiss foreign ministry called on all parties to cease hostilities immediately. No injuries have been reported among the 1,200 Swiss nationals in the country.
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International law, including humanitarian law, must be respected, the foreign ministry said as it called for dialogue and de-escalation.
The Israeli army announced on Monday night that it had begun “localised ground raids” on villages in southern Lebanon, despite international calls for de-escalation. For several days now, Israel has been carrying out intense and deadly bombardments in Lebanon, claiming to be targeting the Islamist movement Hezbollah.
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No evacuation plan for Swiss nationals
No injuries were reported among the 1,200 Swiss nationals registered with the Swiss Embassy in Lebanon, the foreign ministry told the Keystone-ATS news agency. Around 90 people are also registered on the Travel Admin application for a stay in the region.
The department advises against travel to Lebanon, and nationals are advised to leave the country on their own. Switzerland says it is not organising any departures. All Swiss representations in the region remain operational and staff are doing well.
Several countries are organising the evacuation of their nationals. The French navy, for example, has pre-positioned itself to evacuate its nationals off the coast of Lebanon, and Germany sent a military aircraft to Beirut on Monday.
Translated from French by DeepL/mga
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