Lebanon issues guidance on airport as border tensions rise

The Lebanese authorities on Saturday issued precautionary guidance for evacuating Beirut International Airport and its surrounding facilities in case of emergency, as tensions rise on the Lebanese-Israeli border.

The guidance for Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, which lies on the southern fringe of the capital, did not indicate any immediate escalation on the border.

There have been daily but relatively contained exchanges of fire there recently between Israel and the heavily armed group Hezbollah.

The message comes after Israel's military widened its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip overnight.

In 2006, the airport's runways were hit by Israeli airstrikes, forcing it to close as part of reprisals following Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers.