Leave Lebanon now, Starmer tells Britons

The prime minister has told British nationals in Lebanon to “leave immediately” after fighting intensified between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group which dominates the country.Sir Keir Starmer said “we are ramping up the contingency plans, I think you’d expect that in light of the escalation” and warned that “we are potentially at a brink” of all-out war.The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is sending 700 troops to nearby Cyprus to prepare for the possible evacuation of British nationals from Lebanon and the government “continues to advise against all travel to Lebanon”.The situation in the country, where Israeli strikes reportedly killed more than 560 people this week, is described as deteriorating “rapidly, with devastating consequences”.