Turkey prepares evacuation plan for citizens in Lebanon

Ankara: Turkey has prepared "alternative plans" for the evacuation of Turkish citizens from Lebanon by sea or air, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

"The security situation in Lebanon is likely to deteriorate further," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry's call centre is accepting applications from citizens wishing to be included in the possible evacuation, it said, Xinhua news agency reported.

The guidelines regarding the evacuation of citizens from other countries through Turkey have also been determined, with preparations underway for nearly 20 countries that have requested support so far, it added.

The Israeli military on Tuesday urged civilians in Lebanon to evacuate about 30 villages and towns, warning of imminent attacks in the area, after it claimed that it launched a ground operation into southern Lebanon overnight.

Also on Tuesday, Hezbollah fired rockets at Tel Aviv and other central cities, Israel's rescue services said. The rockets triggered sirens across central Israel and several settlements in the northern occupied West Bank. Several other rocket attacks on Tuesday morning targeted bases in northern Israel.