Repatriation flight en route from Lebanon to Belgium

A repatriation flight with 111 passengers is on its way from Beirut to Belgium, the Belgian Foreign ministry said on Thursday. The flight is carrying nationals from Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Luxembourg.

The Belgian military plane left Cologne for the Lebanese capital on Thursday morning, carrying medical equipment worth 150,000 euros. On Thursday afternoon, the flight was on its way back with 58 Belgian nationals and 53 Dutch, French and Luxembourg nationals on board.

The escalating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has plunged Lebanon into crisis, with Israeli bombing forcing more than 400,000 people to flee to neighbouring Syria in less than two weeks.

Quick exit

"The number of Belgians who had announced their intention to leave Lebanon has increased in recent days. It was therefore important for us to provide a quick exit," said Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib.

Lahbib thanked the Foreign Affairs and Defence teams for their professionalism and quick action. "We are monitoring the situation on the ground and will continue to guide and support Belgians living in Lebanon and offer solutions to those who want to leave," she said. 

1,800 Belgians in Lebanon

The flight is due to land at Belgium's Melsbroek airport at around 21.15. A spokesperson for Lahbib said that all Belgian nationals who had indicated that they wanted to leave Lebanon quickly had now been able to do so. 

The Foreign ministry is aware of 1,800 Belgian nationals currently in Lebanon, all of whom have been contacted. Some have indicated that they may wish to leave at a later date. 

On Wednesday, a first plane sent to repatriate Belgian nationals from Lebanon had to turn back due to a technical defect. 

^{A commercial aircraft takes off from Beirut International Airport on 9 October 2024 © PHOTO AFP}