Keir Starmer today did not rule out deploying troops on the ground in Lebanon to help get Brits to safety as he urged all sides to pull back from the brink.
The Prime Minister told UK nationals to leave the Middle Eastern country immediately by commercial flights, with between 4,000 and 6,000 people still believed to be there. Speaking to reporters in New York, Mr Starmer warned of an “almost hour-on-hour” escalation in the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon.
The UK has deployed 700 troops to nearby Cyprus to assist with evacuation if necessary. Asked if he would put troops in danger on the ground if necessary, the PM said: “I’m not going to get into the details of evacuation plans. As you would expect, we put contingency measures in place.
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“But here in New York, in the UN General Assembly, I’m being very, very clear this is a dangerous situation now and all parties need to pull back from the brink, to de-escalate. We need a ceasefire and this needs to be sorted out by diplomatic means.”
He added: “I am very concerned about the increasing escalation which is not just day on day, but almost hour on hour at the moment.”
Downing Street said the UK stands ready to ramp up contingency plans to get Brits out if the situation deteriorates.
The PM is using a visit to the UN to urge all sides to come back from the drink amid fears of all-out war. He said: “I call on the Security Council to seek political solutions that can break repeating cycles of violence like that in the Middle East. The region is at the brink.
“We need an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah and the implementation of a political plan which allows Israeli and Lebanese civilians to return to their homes to live in peace and security.
“That security will come through diplomacy – not escalation. There is no military solution here. Nor is there a military-only solution to the conflict in Gaza. This council must demand – again – an immediate, full and complete ceasefire in Gaza with the release of all the hostages.
“We need a political route to that agreement which provides a bridge to a better future. A credible and irreversible path towards a viable Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure State of Israel. This is the only way to provide security and justice for both Israelis and Palestinians.”