Get out of Lebanon now, Britons urged

BRITONS must leave Lebanon now, Sir Keir Starmer said last night - as the country's death toll from two days of relentless bombardment from Israel rose to 564.

- Christian Calgie and Michael Knowles

In the small hours, 700 British troops were being moved to Cyprus in what was dubbed the first phase of the UK's "contingency plans".

Fears of an all-out war in the region continue to grow following a huge escalation of conflict.

Thousands of people have been wounded and thousands more displaced by air strikes, said Lebanon's health ministry, which claimed 50 children were among the dead.

Worried

Support will be put in place for an estimated 10,000 British nationals stranded in Lebanon.

A small number of UK troops are already in Lebanon and could help with an evacuation.