Over the weekend, the United States has been actively organizing flights to evacuate American citizens from Lebanon. According to a State Department spokesperson, approximately 900 US citizens, legal permanent residents, and their family members have been evacuated so far.
The latest update reveals that a flight carrying around 150 passengers, including American citizens and their family members, departed from Beirut to Istanbul. Despite the ongoing evacuation efforts, none of the flights organized by the US have been at full capacity.
It was disclosed that the US has chartered a total of eight flights, each with 300 available seats, making a total of 2,400 seats available for evacuation. As of now, around 900 seats have been filled, indicating the continuous efforts to bring more individuals to safety.
In addition to the chartered flights, the US has also reserved 868 seats on commercial flights for US citizens looking to leave Lebanon. While the exact number of filled seats is not known, a significant proportion of the reserved seats have been utilized.
The State Department has seen an increase in the number of Americans in Lebanon reaching out for information on potential evacuation, with approximately 8,500 individuals seeking guidance. However, not all of them have opted to leave the country.
The spokesperson emphasized the importance of providing available seats for those in need and assured that the US will continue to make evacuation options accessible as long as there is demand and the security situation warrants it. Many US citizens in Lebanon are reportedly evaluating their circumstances on a daily basis to make informed decisions about their safety.
