The US Embassy in Lebanon today urged its citizens to make plans to leave the country as soon as possible while the usual travel alternatives are still available.

In an emailed notice to citizens, the embassy said it was closely monitoring the security situation in Lebanon.

“We recommend that US citizens who choose not to depart make contingency plans for emergencies,” the embassy said.

Yesterday, thousands of angry protesters, supporters of Hezbollah, tried to reach the US embassy in Beirut, expressing their anger at what they say is Israel’s attack on the hospital in Gaza.

The protesters were pushed back by the Lebanese security forces, with tear gas and water pressure.

The United States has warned Iran, which backs Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas, not to get involved in the rapidly escalating crisis after the October 7 bloodshed in Israel. Off the coast of Israel, two US aircraft carriers rushed to prevent any country or organization from getting involved in the conflict.

In a speech to thousands of Hezbollah supporters, Hashem Safieddin warned US President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “malicious Europeans” to be careful.

The rally was held in the wake of the deadly bombing of a hospital in Gaza.

Hezbollah forces and the Israeli military have exchanged fire almost daily since Hamas launched the unprecedented attack on Israeli soil and Israel responded by pounding the Gaza Strip.