'Exercise Caution': India Issues Travel Advisory, Helpline Numbers for Citizens in Lebanon

New Delhi: The Indian embassy in Lebanon issued a travel advisory for those planning to visit the country amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. This advisory follows Israel's strikes on Hezbollah positions and its warning of further action in response to a rocket attack that killed 12 people.

"In view of the recent developments in the region, all Indian nationals in Lebanon and those planning to travel to Lebanon are advised to exercise caution and remain in contact with the Embassy of India in Beirut through their email id: cons.beirut@mea.gov.in or the emergency number +96176860128", the advisory read.

Flights at Beirut Airport Disrupted

Flights at Beirut airport are facing cancellations and delays amid rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanon's Middle East Airlines (MEA) has attributed the disruptions to insurance concerns.

Lufthansa has suspended its flights to and from Beirut until July 30. This includes routes operated by Swiss International Air Lines, Eurowings, and Lufthansa.

Other airlines affected include:

Turkish Airlines, which cancelled two flights overnight on Sunday.
SunExpress, a budget carrier based in Turkey.
AJet, a subsidiary of Turkish Airlines.
Aegean Airlines from Greece.
Ethiopian Airlines.

MEA also had flights scheduled for Monday that were cancelled, as per flight tracking website Flightradar24.

Israel Weighs Response to Hezbollah

The Middle East braced for a potential flare-up in violence on Sunday after Israeli authorities said a rocket from Lebanon struck a soccer field in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, killing 12 children and teens in what the military called the deadliest attack on civilians since Oct. 7. It raised fears of a broader regional war between Israel and Hezbollah, which in a rare move denied it was responsible.

The White House National Security Council said it was speaking with Israeli and Lebanese counterparts and working on a diplomatic solution to “end all attacks once and for all” in the border area between Israel and Lebanon.

The Israeli military said it struck a number of targets inside Lebanon overnight into Sunday, though their intensity was similar to months of cross-border fighting between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah. Hezbollah said it also carried out strikes. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Saturday’s attack came as Israel and Hamas are negotiating a cease-fire proposal to end the nearly 10-month war in Gaza.