All the other passengers were foreign nationals.
The Lithuanians said they had not experienced any major problems in Israel, but some of them left the country earlier than planned, fearing an escalation of hostilities.
Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC), told the LRT public radio that 179 Lithuanians were still in Israel and 40 in Lebanon.
Evacuation flights would be sought in the event of an emergency amidst active hostilities or flight cancellations by airlines, he said.
„One condition is that there are active hostilities in or around Israel, and the other condition, which is probably the key one, is that the airlines stop flying, and then there is a very complicated way for people to get back home,“ Vitkauskas commented.
According to the official, the evacuation flight could be organised by the air force, commercial airlines or partnerships between neighbouring countries – depending on the time and the number of passengers.
Tensions in the Middle East have recently escalated following the Israeli assassination of the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, and Iran’s promise to retaliate.
The Foreign Ministry has been advising against all travel to Israel and Lebanon after the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. Citizens who need assistance are asked to contact the Lithuanian embassy in Israel or the ministry.