State Department advises against Lebanon travel but isn't evacuating

State Department advises against Lebanon travel but isn’t evacuating | Fact check

Posted by Admin July 31, 2024 Travel

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The claim: US ordered total evacuation of US citizens in Lebanon

A July 28 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows the State Department seal alongside a supposed security alert.

“BREAKING: The United States has ordered the total evacuation of all US citizens from Lebanon,” reads the post.

Other versions of the claim spread widely on Facebook and X, formerly Twitter.

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Our rating: False

The State Department said there was no evacuation order in place for Americans in Lebanon as of July 29. The agency issued a Level 3 travel advisory for the country, meaning Americans are urged to reconsider travel to the area.

Commercial flights change amid rising tension in region

The claim was posted as Lebanon braced for a potential retaliatory attack after a rocket strike killed a dozen children and teenagers in the Israel-controlled Golan Heights on July 27, as USA TODAY reported. American and Israeli intelligence agencies linked the attack to Hezbollah, though the militant group denied involvement.

But there is no mention of an evacuation order on websites for the U.S. embassy in Lebanon or the State Department, the latter of which confirmed in a July 29 news briefing that there is no such order.

“We don’t have any plans for or an announcement as it relates to an evacuation or efforts for private U.S. citizens from Lebanon,” department spokesperson Vedant Patel said.

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Patel said Lebanon as a whole remains under a Level 3 travel advisory. Guidance on the department’s website urges Americans to reconsider travel to the country because of “crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, unexploded landmines and the risk of armed conflict.”

The website also says to not travel to certain areas including southern Lebanon and its border with Syria, both of which are under a Level 4 travel advisory, meaning do not travel.

The U.S. embassy in Beirut said some airlines were adjusting their flight schedules due to “heightened tension in the region” in a July 28 security alert.

In the news briefing the following day, Patel said Americans in Lebanon should enroll in the department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program and consider their remaining commercial flight options for leaving the country.

NBC reported in June that the Pentagon was moving military assets closer to Israel and Lebanon to be able to quickly evacuate Americans if necessary.

USA TODAY previously debunked a claim the Department of Defense evacuated the U.S. embassy in Beirut and told Americans in October 2023 to leave Lebanon immediately.

USA TODAY reached out to users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Our fact-check sources:

Department of State, accessed July 30, Press Releases
Department of State, July 29, Department Press Briefing – July 29, 2024
U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, accessed July 29, Alerts
U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, July 28, Security Alert: U.S. Embassy Beirut, July 28, 2024
Department of State, Jan. 29, Lebanon Travel Advisory

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