The Biden administration has come under criticism for being slow to assist Americans getting out of Lebanon. Other countries began evacuation efforts well over a week ago, especially as Israel began pounding Beirut with airstrikes, and as an Israeli army ground invasion materialized.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre now says the US is working to evacuate Americans out of Lebanon, long after the war began. "Jean-Pierre said the US embassy in Beirut remains open and can help Americans who need emergency passports or other documentation," Al Jazeera reports of the latest statement.
"The US will continue to provide aircraft as long as the Beirut airport remains open," Jean-Pierre said. At this point the international airport has seen a lot more military transport flights sent by foreign governments to evacuate their nationals.
Currently, the only airline to continue flying in and out of the airport even as Israeli bombs fall on nearby south Beirut is Middle East Airlines, the Lebanese national carrier.
As of a few days ago, US State Department officials said that some 8,000 Americans in the country are in touch with the US Embassy, seeking some sort of assistance. Already a Lebanese-American has been killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon.
"Because we recognize that some flights are a little bit limited, we have organized U.S. flights, U.S.-organized flights to be able to augment commercial availability," Rena Bitter, the assistant secretary of consular affairs at the State Department, has said.
While most Western and international airlines have suspended service to Beirut, an increasing number are also avoiding Israeli airspace.
On Wednesday the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) warned that airlines must urgently implement strict risk monitoring procedures for flights that go within Israeli airspace.
"The European Commission and European Union Aviation Safety Agency have updated the Conflict Zone Information Bulletin (CZIB) for Israel issued on September 28. The revised CZIB recommends air operators to implement a stringent monitoring process and risk assessment for each flight when intending to operate within the airspace of Israel," a notification said.
Plumes of smoke rise over Dahieh, as we prepare to leave Beirut. The area which is adjacent to the airport has been bombed this morning as planes arrive & depart @rtenews pic.twitter.com/CwP23emsrw
— Fran McNulty (@franmcnulty) October 8, 2024
"The recommendation is valid until October 31 and can be reviewed earlier and adapted or withdrawn subject to the revised assessment," it added.
It is not only the active state of war between Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel, but greatly adding to the danger is the risk of more direct ballistic missile launches between Iran and Israel. The Netanyahu government is sill vowing 'precise' and 'deadly' major strikes on Iranian targets - but it's anyone's guess when this might happen.
