UK foreign minister repeats calls for ceasefire after talk with Blinken on Middle East

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LONDON (Reuters) -British foreign minister David Lammy repeated calls for an immediate ceasefire amid reports of a potential escalation in the Israel-Lebanon conflict, after discussing the matter with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the phone on Monday.

“We’ve both seen the reports in the media about a next phase for Israel in Lebanon,” Lammy told Sky News, amid growing indications that Israel was on the verge of sending ground troops into Lebanon.

“We both agreed the position that we had at the U.N. last week that the best way forward is an immediate ceasefire and to get back to a political solution.”

Earlier in the day a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged “all parties to show restraint”.

Lammy also reiterated the government’s advice that British citizens leave Lebanon.

“We have secured places on commercial flights that are flying tomorrow so that UK nationals can get out. I urge them to leave, because the situation on the ground is fast moving,” he said.

“Whilst we will do everything we can to protect British nationals and those plans are in place to do so, we cannot anticipate the circumstances and the speed with which we could do that if things escalate in a major way over the coming hours and days.”

In a statement, the government said it has also chartered a flight to help meet any additional demand from British nationals and their dependants wanting to leave the Middle Eastern country. That flight is due to leave Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Muvija M; editing by Jonathan Oatis)