The situation in Lebanon could become “much, much more dangerous”, Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned as he urged Britons in the country to leave.

The UK Government has chartered a flight out of Lebanon for Britons wanting to escape as Israel said it had begun a “limited, localised” military ground offensive in the southern part of the country.

The charter aircraft on Wednesday follows efforts to secure seats on the remaining commercial flights out of Beirut, including one to Heathrow on Tuesday.

The UK has already deployed troops to Cyprus in case the situation deteriorates further and an emergency evacuation is needed.

In a video message posted online, Mr Lammy said the situation is “volatile and has the potential to deteriorate quickly”.

He said: “We continue contingency planning for a range of scenarios in the region but you should not wait for these.

“We know that events can escalate with little warning and the situation on the ground could become much, much more dangerous.

“This means there’s no guarantee that another option will become available.

“The UK government is providing an option for you to leave now. My message is clear: take it.”

In a brief announcement released in the early hours of Tuesday morning by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), the military said it was targeting Hezbollah in areas close to the border between the two nations.

The IDF added that air force and artillery units were carrying out attacks to support forces on the ground.

“A few hours ago, the IDF began limited, localised and targeted ground raids,” it said.

“These targets are located in villages close to the border and pose an immediate threat to Israeli communities in northern Israel.”

The IDF gave no details as to how long the operation in southern Lebanon would last but said its army had been training and preparing to cross the border to fight for months.

British nationals and their spouses, partners and children under 18 are eligible for the UK charter flight, and those who are vulnerable will be prioritised.

Mr Lammy chaired a ministerial meeting of the Cobra emergency committee on Monday to discuss the crisis and held talks with US counterpart Antony Blinken.

There are an estimated 5,000 British nationals in Lebanon.