With tensions rising across the Middle East as Israel’s war in Gaza spills over into other countries, our government has issued a ‘Do Not Travel’ warning for the whole of Lebanon, and advised those who are already there to “leave immediately”. Given the historic challenges of evacuating Aussies, it’s sparked a sense of déjà vu of a similar conflict back in 2006. It comes as Israel launched a retaliatory strike in Beirut overnight, in response to an attack on a football pitch last weekend that killed 12 children in the Golan Heights, which Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu blamed on terror group Hezbollah. It’s denied responsibility, but the 2 sides have been trading missiles across the Israel-Lebanon border since the 7 October Hamas attack. The US is now leading an urgent diplomatic effort to discourage further strikes in a bid to prevent an all-out war.