Beirut Swedish embassy staff transfer to Cyprus

Sweden said on Saturday it was shutting its embassy in Beirut and sending its staff to Cyprus, amid fears that Israel’s war on Gaza could escalate into a region-wide conflict.

It had earlier urged thousands of its citizens to leave Lebanon.

The killing of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders this week has heightened regional tensions amid Israel’s Gaza war.

“The foreign ministry has instructed its staff to leave Beirut and travel to Cyprus, and the foreign ministry is planning a temporary relocation of its embassy,” Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told Swedish Radio according to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA).

Billstrom said the decision had been taken “initially for the month of August but may be extended depending on the security situation.

“The ministry is monitoring developments closely,” he added.

According to the foreign ministry, as many as 10,000 Swedish nationals may have travelled to Lebanon this summer, defying a travel warning in place for the country since October 2023.

“I urge Swedes in Lebanon to leave the country by whichever means possible, while they still can,” he said.