The professionalism and commitment of UK Armed Forces deployed in
Cyprus was praised by the Defence Secretary today as he visited key sites
involved in Middle East contingency preparations.
Around 700 additional Armed Forces personnel, as well
as FCDO and Home Office staff, including Border Force officers,
have travelled to Cyprus to support UK Government
contingency planning, as British nationals are urged again to
leave Lebanon immediately.
Healey arrived in Cyprus on Tuesday evening and met
personnel on the ground at the Sovereign Base Areas - including
RAF Akrotiri - on Wednesday to thank them for
their quick work to rapidly relocate to the region. The
personnel stand ready to provide support to the FCDO if the
situation in Lebanon continues to deteriorate.
It comes after the Prime Minister, Defence Secretary and Foreign
Secretary all condemned Iran's large-scale attack on Israel on
Tuesday evening and repeated calls for de-escalation. The Defence
Secretary has also confirmed that two Royal Air Force Typhoon
fighter jets and a Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker played
their part in attempts to prevent further escalation in the
Middle East, demonstrating the UK's unwavering commitment to
Israel's security.
Due to the nature of the attack, they did not engage any targets,
but they played an important part in wider deterrence.
The Prime Minister discussed the volatile situation in the region
with His Majesty King Abdullah II, Prime Minister Netanyahu,
President Macron and Chancellor Scholz on Tuesday, while the
Foreign Secretary spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Katz today,
after warning Iran yesterday against action that could further
push the region to the brink. The Defence Secretary has
discussed the situation with his German and Israeli
counterparts.
A FCDO commercial charter flight has been organised
from Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport today to
help British nationals leave following the escalating violence in
the region.
The Royal Air Force maintains aircraft and transport helicopters
on standby to provide support if necessary, while Royal Navy ship
HMS Duncan and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship RFA Mounts Bay remain
in the eastern Mediterranean.
Defence Secretary said:
The situation across the Middle East is extremely serious and
de-escalation remains our focus. We continue to call for a
ceasefire in Lebanon, where the safety of British nationals is
our highest priority and it is critical that any who remain
in Lebanon leave immediately.
Here in Cyprus, the preparations and plans are in place. I've
been briefed on the ground by UK personnel who are ready to act
at short notice. And I thanked them for their commitment and
professionalism.
We continue to coordinate closely with Allies and partners as the
situation grows more serious. Our government continues to urge a
diplomatic solution to prevent wider regional escalation and
further loss of life.
UK government officials have been working non-stop in London,
Beirut and the wider region in recent weeks to increase capacity
on commercial flights to allow British nationals to leave, as
well as to continue contingency planning for a range of scenarios
in the region. An FCDO Rapid Deployment Team is also in
Lebanon to bolster the support offered by British Embassy
officials.
British nationals and their spouse or partner, and children under
the age of 18 are eligible for today's FCDO charter flight and
will need to hold a valid travel document. Dependants who
are not British nationals will require a valid visa that has been
granted for a period of stay in the UK of more than 6 months.
The UK was the first G7 country to call for a ceasefire between
Israel and Lebanese Hizballah, and the Prime Minister and Foreign
Secretary engaged with their counterparts at the UN General
Assembly last week to urge them to do the same.
11 other countries, including the US, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar,
have now joined calls for a 21-day ceasefire to prevent further
civilian casualties and ensure that displaced people can return
to their homes.
The UK is also providing £5 million to UNICEF in Lebanon to
support humanitarian response efforts and enable UNICEF to
distribute supplies to those in need.
