US helping its citizens depart Lebanon by air

The United States organized a flight that carried about 100 American citizens and their relatives out of Lebanon on Wednesday as Israel attacks Hezbollah targets there, the State Department said.

"It's been a priority for us to enhance the capacity of flights in and out of the region. So we've contracted with additional carriers to facilitate the transport of American citizens," spokesman Matthew Miller told journalists.

"There was a flight that left a couple of hours ago from Beirut" to Istanbul that had "a little over 100 American citizens and their family members who departed on it," Miller said.

The State Department has advised Americans to "depart Lebanon now while commercial options still remain available," and warned those who decide to stay to "be prepared to shelter in place should the situation deteriorate further."

Hezbollah began low-intensity strikes on Israeli troops a day after its Palestinian ally Hamas staged an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, which triggered war in the Gaza Strip.

The clashes have rapidly escalated this month, with Israel carrying out extensive strikes at both the border and further inside Lebanon, killing hundreds -- including Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah -- and then launching what it described as "targeted ground raids" in south Lebanon.