The US State Department on Saturday urged American citizens in Lebanon to leave the country while commercial flights remain available and the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies.

“Given the unpredictable nature of the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel and recent bombings throughout Lebanon, including Beirut, the U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens to depart Lebanon while commercial transportation options remain available,” the State Department said in a statement on its “travel advisory” for Lebanon.

The statement, a copy of which was received by Al-Quds, added, "At the present time, commercial flights are available, but at a reduced capacity. If the security situation worsens, commercial travel options for departure may become unavailable."

The statement warns American citizens: “If you choose to remain in Lebanon, be prepared to stay put if the situation deteriorates further. The U.S. Embassy strongly urges American citizens in southern Lebanon, near the border with Syria, and/or in refugee camps to leave those areas immediately.”

The statement stresses, “Do not travel to Lebanon due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, unexploded landmines, and the risk of armed conflict. Some areas, especially near the border, are at increased risk.” It also stresses that “US citizens who remain in Lebanon should be aware of the risks and review their personal security plans.”

“U.S. citizens in Lebanon should also be aware that consular officers from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut are not always able to travel to assist them. The Department of State considers the threat to U.S. government personnel in Beirut serious enough to require them to live and work under heightened security measures. The U.S. Embassy’s internal security policies may be modified at any time and without notice.”

The statement notes that since October 8, there have been cross-border exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel; in some cases, these have involved targets north of the border area. On September 17 and 18, communications equipment exploded at sites across Lebanon, including Beirut, killing dozens and wounding thousands. On September 20, Israel carried out a targeted strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

The Lebanese government cannot guarantee the safety of U.S. citizens from sudden outbreaks of violence and armed conflict. Family, neighborhood, or sectarian disputes can escalate quickly and lead to shootings or other violence without warning.

The statement also warns that unexploded landmines and remnants of war pose a risk along the border with Syria, and that people should pay attention to landmine warning signs and “do not venture off the road into areas marked with red and white plastic tape. Avoid roadside ditches, sidewalks and unmarked paths. Never touch anything that looks like unexploded ordnance.”

U.S. citizens should also avoid demonstrations and exercise caution if they are near any large gatherings or protests because these demonstrations have the potential to turn violent quickly and with little notice. Protesters have blocked major roads, including highways between downtown Beirut and the area where the U.S. Embassy is located, and between Beirut and Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport. See our Country Information page for additional information about traveling to Lebanon.

The United States raised its travel warning to Lebanon last July to the highest rating of "Do Not Travel", after a raid on the southern suburb of Beirut killed a senior Hezbollah leader.

Lebanese authorities said Saturday that rescue teams in Beirut were searching for people still missing under the rubble after an Israeli air strike killed

Hezbollah leaders targeted at least 37 people in the southern suburbs of the capital on Friday.

The party said that leaders Ibrahim Aqil and Ahmed Wahbi were among 16 of its members killed in the strike, which was the most violent in nearly a year of conflict with Israel.

The Israeli military said the strike targeted an underground meeting that included Aqil and leaders of the Radwan Force, an elite unit of Hezbollah, and that it almost completely dismantled the group's military chain of command.

The attack destroyed a multi-storey residential building in the densely populated southern suburb and damaged a nearby kindergarten, a security source said.

Brett McGurk, the White House Middle East envoy, said that President Joe Biden's administration "does not shed a single tear" over the killing of senior Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil, but he indicated that the United States may not agree to the move given the risks it carries for regional escalation.

“Ibrahim Akil, who was killed today, was responsible for the bombing of the embassy in Beirut 40 years ago. So no one sheds a tear for him,” McGurk said while addressing the Israeli American Council conference in Washington. “However, we have differences with the Israelis on tactics and how to measure the risk of escalation. It’s a very troubling situation. I’m very confident that through diplomacy, deterrence and other means we will work our way out of it.”

“We do not believe that war in Lebanon is the way to achieve the goal of returning people to their homes [in the Galilee], and we stand fully with Israel in defending its people and its territory against Hezbollah,” McGurk continued. “We want a diplomatic settlement in the north. That is the goal, and that is what we are working toward,” the Times of Israel reported.

US officials and other experts familiar with internal thinking in the US and Israeli governments said the recent attacks represent the beginning of a broader Israeli military campaign to degrade Hezbollah's fighting capabilities in southern Lebanon, according to Politico.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health said that among the dead were three children and seven women.

Cross-border attacks continued Saturday, with Israeli warplanes launching the heaviest bombardment of the 11-month-old fighting in southern Lebanon and Hezbollah announcing rocket attacks on military targets in northern Israel.

The Israeli army said it bombed about 180 targets and destroyed thousands of rocket launchers.

Friday's attack represents a sharp escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, and another blow to the group after two days of attacks last week that blew up pagers and other walkie-talkies used by its members.