US citizens in Lebanon are being urged to leave now, due to the unpredictable security situation, the US State Department said on Sunday:
"The Department of State urges US citizens not to travel to Lebanon," the agency said in a statement online. "We recommend that US citizens in Lebanon make appropriate arrangements to leave the country; commercial options currently remain available.
"We recommend that US citizens who choose not to depart prepare contingency plans for emergency situations," the advisory added.
The department had issued previous travel advisories as tension rose on Israel's northern border, but this was the first to offer travelers loans to purchase tickets to leave the country.
The advisory also provided a crisis intake form for US citizens to fill out, but urged that citizens who had already submitted the form not do so again, lest the processing be slowed down for others.
Advisory comes as tensions continue to rise
The notice comes at a time of uncertainty, with regular exchanges of fire between IDF and Hezbollah forces and concern that Israel's ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza may expand into a northern front with Hezbollah in Lebanon as well.