UPDATE 10/4 6:45 a.m.: The U.S. State Department said Wednesday that it had arranged flights for 250 American citizens out of Lebanon this week, but so far no large scale plans for evacuation have been activated.
While the U.S. has reportedly given the green light to Israel’s cross-border war with Hezbollah, the State Department has so far made it clear that, as of now, American nationals seeking to flee Lebanon are down to some meager options.
“At this time there are commercial [flight] options available,” State Department representative Matthew Miller said in a Sept. 30 press briefing in response to a question about an evacuation operation. “We are exploring other potential options, should we need to, but it’s not a decision we’ve made as of yet.”
Stories are already surfacing of Americans trapped in Lebanon, trying to get out. According to 2022 estimates, there are approximately 86,000 Americans in the country.
“Flights are being canceled. My flight got canceled two times already and my third flight. I just got the email today also got canceled,” said Jonathan Sahyoun, a San Francisco Bay area resident who is now in Beirut visiting family.
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