Americans that are located in Lebanon are being urged to leave the country or be ready to shelter in place for long periods of time.  This comes as a warning as Israel will be striking back against Hezbollah.

In a video posted by the U. S. Embassy in Lebanon, Rena Bitter, U.S. assistant secretary of state for the bureau of consular affairs said that escalating tensions in the region have made travel in and out of the country dangerous.  It’s not an if but when Israel will retaliate for the Hezbollah attack at a children’s soccer field that killed 12 people.

“We recommend U.S. citizens develop a crisis plan of action and leave before a crisis begins,” Rena Bitter also said in the video, “Regularly scheduled commercial transportation is always the best option while local communications and transportation infrastructure are intact and operating normally.”

“Bitter also said: “I want to assure you that Washington is laser-focused on Lebanon” and “the U. S. Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas.”