Britain is moving 700 troops to Cyprus to be ready for an emergency evacuation of UK citizens from Lebanon, as the prime minister urged those still in the country to leave immediately.
The government said military teams were moving there to further support British nationals in Lebanon, where Israel has been bombarding the south of the country.
The Royal Air Force also has aircraft and helicopters on standby to provide support if necessary.
It is the first phase of contingency plans for Lebanon, as the government seeks to avoid the chaos seen when British nationals were evacuated from Afghanistan in 2021.
The military teams will be supported by Border Force and Foreign Office officials.
Keir Starmer said the government was “ramping up the contingency plans” to rescue British nationals as he urged Israel and Lebanon to “pull back from the brink”.