Fears for the safety of U.S. citizens in Lebanon grows following escalation of tensions with Israel

The U.S. government has a growing concern for the safety of its citizens in Lebanon as tensions with Israel are only increasing. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin discussed the possibility of an evacuation with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, whom he asked to ensure the safety of Americans.

As reported by Axios, after discussion with officials from both countries, the Biden administration's concern for the safety of U.S. citizens in Lebanon is growing.

The heaviest exchange artillery between Lebanon and Israel since 2006 took place recently.  Back then Americans living in Lebanon had to be evacuated for security reasons.

Furthermore, the Israel Defense Forces announced Monday morning that "they attacked more than 300 targets" during the early morning hours. In addition, the Army is warning the Lebanese population via messages on their phones to "stay away" from Hezbollah positions because they will begin launching "wider and more precise bombardments."

During the telephone exchange with Gallant, Austin raised with him the need to take "deconfliction," measures in the event of such an evacuation, with the goal of ensuring the protection of U.S. citizens.

"Secretary Austin emphasized his concern for the safety and security of U.S. citizens in the region," Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said in a statement.

In turn, the Pentagon had communicated the following on the escalation of tensions between Israel and Hezbollah: "In light of increased tensions in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional US military personnel forward to augment forces already in the region. For operations security reasons, we won't comment on or provide specific details."