"British nationals should leave Lebanon immediately, Ministers have warned, as the Government bolsters its presence in the region. Around 700 UK troops will move to Cyprus in the coming hours, as the Government continues to prepare its contingency plans following significant escalation between Israel and Lebanon in recent days," the government said in a statement on Tuesday.
The ministry added that the UK air forces will also be on standby in case support is needed.
Spain Also Plans to Evacuate Its Citizens From Lebanon
The Spanish government has prepared a plan to evacuate its citizens from Lebanon, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said.
"It [evacuation plan] has been prepared. But I also do not want to cause alarm. At the moment, this plan is not activated, but everything is perfectly prepared and ready to evacuate our citizens," Albares said in an interview with laSexta broadcaster on Tuesday.
Albarez also noted that the ministry has already updated its travel recommendations and does not recommend visiting Lebanon under any circumstances.
Israel began carrying out massive strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday. The death toll from the bombardments has climbed to 558, Lebanese Health Minister Firass Abiad said. Lebanese movement Hezbollah, in turn, fired dozens of rockets toward northern Israel.