US Urges Israel to Spare Beirut Airport

The United States has cautioned Israel against targeting Beirut airport and the access roads leading to it amid ongoing intensive airstrikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller emphasized the importance of keeping these routes open not only for Americans seeking to leave Lebanon but also for international citizens.

On Monday, Israeli forces launched an airstrike near Beirut’s international airport, as reported by a security source to AFP. This comes during a time when the U.S. has been organizing near-daily charter flights to evacuate American citizens and their families due to the escalating conflict with the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah.

According to Miller, around 900 people have utilized these flights, though none have reached full capacity yet. Additionally, the U.S. is reserving seats on still-operating commercial flights for those wishing to leave.

Approximately 8,500 Americans have reached out to the State Department regarding departure options, although this number doesn’t necessarily reflect those intending to leave. Miller chose not to comment on whether the Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, specifically Beirut, adhere to international law, stating, “I don’t have a characterization of them one way or the other,” but he noted that the expectation is for operations to target Hezbollah in compliance with international humanitarian law, aiming to minimize civilian casualties.

The U.S. has occasionally criticized Israel for the high civilian death toll in Gaza, where over 41,000 fatalities have been reported over the past year, with President Joe Biden describing some of Israel’s actions as “over the top.” However, the U.S. continues to support Israel’s broader military efforts.

Israel’s recent military actions were triggered by a deadly attack from the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, 2023, and have since extended from Gaza, where Hamas is based, to targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon.

While the U.S. backs Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah, Miller expressed concerns about the potential for these operations to extend indefinitely, stating, “We are very cognizant of the many times in the past where Israel has gone in on what looked like limited operations and has stayed for months or for years. And ultimately, that’s not the outcome that we want to see.”