Leaving 'only choice' say sisters on Beirut flight

Three British sisters person spoken of their sadness astatine being forced to fly their location successful Lebanon, saying they had "no choice" but to committee a formation to the UK.

Amal Zahereddine, 18, and her sisters Yasmine, 17, and Layla, 22, were among British nationals preparing to permission connected a UK authorities charter formation from Beirut to Birmingham.

Earlier, Defence Secretary John Healey said British forces had "played their portion successful attempts to forestall further escalation”, during an Iranian rocket onslaught connected Israel connected Tuesday.

He gave nary further details but the BBC understands British subject jets did not sprout down immoderate Iranian ballistic missiles nor did the Royal Navy Destroyer, HMS Duncan, occurrence immoderate Sea Viper missiles.

Speaking to the BBC from the airdrome successful Beirut, assemblage pupil Amal said she loved Lebanon and was "very upset" astatine having to leave.

"Right present determination is nary mode we tin stay. The noises, the situation, is conscionable getting precise traumatising truthful we person nary choice," she said.

Amal, who was calved successful Surrey and has lived successful Lebanon for 5 years, said she and her sisters planned to reunite with household successful West Sussex.

"We're conscionable going to enactment hopeful that it's not going to beryllium for agelong and we're going to travel backmost to our precious country."

Her sister Yasmine, who is inactive successful school, said she would person ne'er imagined leaving, but the concern required it.

As of past week, determination were thought to beryllium betwixt 4,000 and 6,000 UK nationals, including dependants, successful Lebanon.

The chartered formation leaving Beirut connected Wednesday volition lone beryllium capable to instrumentality a fraction of them, raising questions astir whether further flights volition beryllium needed

The defence caput is successful Cyprus to conscionable immoderate of the British unit preparing for the anticipation of evacuating UK nationals.

Britons successful Lebanon person been advised to registry their beingness with officials connected the government's website.

Another British citizen, Libby, 25, boarded a commercialized formation from Beirut to Cairo connected Wednesday morning, and described the concern successful the Lebanese superior arsenic "terrifying".

"You can't slumber due to the fact that you tin perceive the Israeli drones implicit your head, you aftermath up successful the nighttime due to the fact that you perceive strikes," she told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme.