The US State Department today ordered some employees of the US Embassy in Beirut and their family members to leave Lebanon as tensions escalate in the Middle East following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah by Israel.

“US Embassy Beirut personnel are prohibited from personal travel without prior authorization,” the State Department said in a statement. “Additional travel restrictions may be imposed on personnel under the responsibility of the Head of Mission with little or no warning due to heightened security concerns or threats,” he added.

Washington also “appealed” to American citizens to leave Lebanon while there are still options available for how to leave.

Germany

Germany announced today that it will limit the staff of its diplomatic missions in Israel, Lebanon and the West Bank to what is absolutely necessary, while the families of the employees will leave the region.

The foreign ministry said it had convened the crisis response committee following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah to discuss the “very tense situation in Lebanon and the region” following the latest strikes. It was decided that the families of the employees of the embassies in Beirut, Ramallah and Tel Aviv should leave and go to a “safe place” in the region or return to Germany.

It will also reduce the number of staff who will remain at the embassies, while ensuring that they remain open and able to carry out their full work.

Berlin has already warned German citizens of the danger they may face if they travel to Israel, Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories.