A ship carrying hundreds of foreign nationals escaping the ongoing conflict in Lebanon has safely arrived in Turkey. Discover the latest updates on the evacuation efforts.
A ship transporting hundreds of foreign nationals escaping the violence in Lebanon reached Turkey on Thursday, amid the escalating Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Departing from Tripoli’s shores, the vessel arrived at a port along Turkey’s Mediterranean coastline.
As reported by the Turkish news agency IHA, passengers on board the ship are now set to return to their home countries. The agency also noted that this vessel was the third of its type to reach the port in recent days.
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Over the past two weeks, fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified significantly. Israeli air strikes have resulted in over 1,000 fatalities in Lebanon, as reported by local authorities. The violence has displaced approximately 1 million people from their homes.
Several governments have urged their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately.
Israel claims that its campaign is focused on ensuring the safe return of tens of thousands of residents to northern Israel, who were compelled to evacuate because of Hezbollah rocket attacks.
In response to the October 7th Hamas attack, Hezbollah initiated exchanges of fire with Israel. This Iran-backed Lebanese militant organization claims that its actions are in support of Palestinians in Gaza.