Brazil's Air Force (FAB) Thursday completed its third airlift mission bringing back nationals of the South American country out of war-torn Lebanon. The third flight landed at the Guarulhos Air Base in Sao Paulo carrying 217 passengers for a total of 672 evacuees, Agencia Brasil reported. The FAB expects to bring back around 3,000 of the 21,000 Brazilians living in Lebanon at a pace of approximately 500 passengers each week.
Uruguayan Foreign Ministry Omar Paganini Monday underlined Israel's right to self-defense on the first anniversary of the Hamas raids in which over 1,000 people were killed and over 200 taken hostage to the Gaza Strip, thus triggering Tel Aviv's full-scale military response. Montevideo's top diplomat also expressed his concern given the number of civilian casualties and forced displacements while urging all parties to de-escalate the conflict.
A Brazilian Air Force (FAB) aircraft landed at the São Paulo Air Base in Guarulhos at 10.25 am on Sunday carrying 229 Brazilian nationals who had been evacuated from war-torn Lebanon, in addition to 3 pets, Agencia Brasil reported.
Operation Cedar Roots has been postponed due to unsafe conditions reaching Beirut's International Airport by land for the some 220 Brazilians stranded in war-torn Lebanon, Agencia Brasil reported Friday. According to the latest update, the FAB aircraft is now scheduled to take off Saturday from Lisbon, Portugal, to the Lebanese capital.
More than 250 British nationals have left Lebanon on flights chartered by UK Government. Any remaining British nationals who want to leave are urged to register immediately, or to use commercial routes.
President Nicolás Maduro Thursday said Venezuela would be helping Lebanon through the current crisis due to Israel's offensive. During a meeting with Beirut's Ambassador in Caracas Elías Lebbos at the Miraflores Palace, the Chavista leader said that humanitarian brigades would be sent to the war-torn area and ratified the South American nation's support to Beirut against Tel Aviv.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ordered a Brazilian Air Force (FAB) aircraft sent to rescue nationals of the South American country from war-torn Lebanon as Israeli forces launched Monday a land invasion following days of shelling and air strikes killing high-ranking leaders of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, Agencia Brasil reported citing an announcement from the Itamaraty Palace.
Brazil's Foreign Ministry condemned in the strongest terms Israel's deployment into parts of Lebanese territory Monday which left 492 people dead and 1,645 wounded. Itamaraty also deplored Tel Aviv's declarations in favor of the military operations urging Lebanese civilians to evacuate their homes in those regions as people fleeing southern Lebanon caused traffic jams.
By Gwynne Dyer
The exploding pagers that killed at least 12 people and injured 2 800 others in Lebanon and adjacent places on Tuesday were mostly just a new wrinkle on the exploding cell-phones that Israel has used to assassinate its opponents in the past, but there was one major innovation.
Brazil's Embassy in Beirut Sunday advised the some 21,000 nationals of the South American country living in Lebanon to leave as soon as possible or avoid all travel to the war-torn region after tension with Israel escalated over the weekend, Agencia Brasil reported.