LONDON 

The UK Foreign Ministry issued an urgent call on Friday for all British nationals in Lebanon to leave the country as soon as possible, citing growing concerns over the region's deteriorating security situation. 

In a statement, the ministry emphasized the immediate need for British citizens to secure seats on the next available flights out of Lebanon.

"We are working to increase capacity and secure seats for British nationals to leave," it said.

The ministry also advised British nationals to register their presence in Lebanon to stay informed of the latest developments.

Israel has pounded Lebanon since Monday morning, killing over 700 people and injuring nearly 2,200 others, according to figures released by the Lebanese Health Ministry.

The ministry said that the death toll in Lebanon since last October was 1,540, in addition to more than 77,000 displaced from the southern and eastern parts of the country.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed more than 41,500 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7.

The international community has warned against the strikes on Lebanon, as they raise the specter of turning the Gaza conflict into a regional war.