NZ in contact with UK embassy about Lebanon evacuation

New Zealand is in contact with the British Embassy in the Lebanon about any possible evacuation preparations for its citizens, as Israel continues to bombard the country.

The air strikes, which killed 35 civilians yesterday, including 15 children, were meant to punish the Lebanese government for failing to disarm Hizbollah and letting it menace Israel's northern border, where measures just short of a state of emergency have been ordered.

European and Arab nations and the United States moved yesterday to evacuate expatriates and tourists from Lebanon.

New Zealand has around 30 nationals in the country, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

MFAT spokeswoman Helen Tunnah told NZPA as New Zealand has no representative in the region, all nationals should get in touch with the British embassy.

"We are staying in touch with the British authorities and asking New Zealanders there to contact the British Embassy and leave their details with them."

She said Britain is not evacuating its nationals at the moment, but "we are staying in touch with them about evacuation preparations."

"We are a long way away which is why we are working with other nations," she added.

Britain has said it is sending two Royal Navy ships to the Middle East amid contingency planning for a possible evacuation of British nationals.

A British defence ministry spokeswoman told Associated Press 3500 to 4000 British families and 10,000 dual nationals were registered in Lebanon.

Ms Tunnah said about 30 New Zealanders were in the Lebanon and MFAT continued to be "in touch with people here who have relatives there".

"We are having people call in to give us numbers of relatives and New Zealand citizens over there," she said

She said if worried families wished to register members they could also do so online at the MFAT website.

Meanwhile, Israel continued to pound Beirut's southern suburb today, the fifth successive day of its offensive, with no sign that its attacks on the Hizbollah guerrilla group and civilian installations were near an end.

The bombing of Lebanese roads, bridges, ports and airports, as well as Hizbollah targets, is Israel's most destructive onslaught since a 1982 invasion to expel Palestinian forces.

- NZPA