CRACK Royal Marines have been put on standby to rescue Brits stranded in Lebanon within hours.
The elite green berets jetted into Cyprus with orders to prepare for a “non-combatant evacuation” mission with the Middle East on the brink of an all-out war.
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A source insisted British nationals were still being ordered to leave by commercial means but officers are on standby to help the remaining civilians.
The commandos have been deployed to RAF Akrotiri in case the flag goes up to launch the mission.
A His Majesty’s Government (HMG) spokesperson told The Sun: “The safety and security of British people is our top priority.
“All British nationals in the region should follow the latest FCDO travel advice, which we keep under constant review.
Read more on the Middle East
“Since 18 October 2023, we have advised against all travel to Lebanon and have encouraged British nationals to leave the country. ”
They are expected to release a further statement over the weekend regarding the evacuation plans.
It comes as the Middle East braces for a possible all-out war with regional tension raging in the past week.
The latest chapter of Israel’s battle with Iran’s puppet powers was ignited by Hamas’ October 7 massacre, leading to a brutal war in Gaza.
Friction between Israel and Hezbollah then flared up with the Lebanon-based militants firing rockets and shells in solidarity with Hamas.
It reached a new level last weekend when Iran-backed Hezbollah was accused of a strike on a football pitch in Israeli territory Golan Heights – killing 12 kids.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Hezbollah would “pay a heavy price which it has not paid up to now”.
Just days later on Tuesday, Israel fired a missile into Lebanon’s capital Beirut, blasting away senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati labelled the strike on the city’s southern suburbs – a known Hezbollah stronghold – “blatant Israeli aggression”.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah then warned war with Israel “entered a new phase” in his address to a crowd of supporters gathered at Shukr’s funeral.
The Islamist militia chief forecast a response, adding Israel “crossed red lines”.
Fears are now rising Lebanon could spiral into chaos, leading to the possibility of a special commando operation to bring Brits out.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) currently labels Lebanon a red zone – advising against all travel there.
Anyone in Lebanon is strongly encouraged to leave with commercial flights out of the country still available.
What is Hezbollah?
HEZBOLLAH – or the Party of God – is a Shia Muslim movement which emerged during the early 1980s with financial backing from Iran.
The group is now considered an Iranian proxy army and the group is committed to destroying Israel.
In 2001, UK ministers banned its external security organisation and seven years later, the proscription was extended to Hezbollah’s military wing.
A listing in the official register of banned groups says Hezbollah is “committed to armed resistance to the state of Israel, and aims to seize all Palestinian territories and Jerusalem from Israel”.
It added: “Its military wing supports terrorism in Iraq and the Palestinian territories.”
Brit officials have accused the Iran organisation of destabilising the Middle East and it is a proscribed group in the UK.
Any members in the UK or supporters could be jailed for up to 10 years.
The FCDO says: “Tensions are high and events could escalate with little warning, which could affect or limit exit routes out of Lebanon.
“In the event of deterioration in the political or security situation, commercial routes out of Lebanon could be severely disrupted or cancelled at short notice, and roads across the country could be closed.
“The British embassy may be increasingly limited in the assistance that it can provide.”
Israel is now preparing for an explosive war on multiple fronts in the Middle East, with Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis flexing their muscle from Yemen and Iran itself.
There are also fears the Israelis could come under fire from forces in Iraq and Syria in what has been labelled a “seven-front war” against ringleaders Iran.
Netanyahu said in June: “Their goal is to have a combined ground offensive from various fronts, coupled with a combined missile bombardment.”
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