Belfast mum Catherine Flanagan's plea to evacuate son as Lebanon conflict escalates

As hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah continue to spiral, a Belfast mother has begged the Irish and British governments to help find and evacuate her two-year-old son from Lebanon, where he was taken by his father.

Just hours after a fresh wave of airstrikes on southern Lebanon, Catherine Flanagan told UTV she was terrified for her son’s safety amidst the violence.

Catherine took David to visit his father in Lebanon, where he is from and works, in August 2022. But she said she was not able to take him home as planned.

Last summer the High Court in Belfast ruled that David should be returned to Northern Ireland by August 18, 2023.

However, that did not happen.

“David must be sent to safety to his home in Northern Ireland immediately. David’s father loves David but he is not putting his best interest first. He knows David shouldn’t be in Lebanon,” she said.

Catherine said her ex-husband video called her on Saturday morning with their son. But seconds into the call his internet signal failed and she has been unable to contact him since.

As airstrikes continue to bombard Lebanon she said the UK and Irish governments need to act immediately to protect her son and return him to safety.

She and David have both Irish and British passports.

“I need the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach to directly lift the phone to Beirut. I want David to be raised as a priority.”

The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has said it was aware of the case.

Last month the PSNI said the Police Service’s International Policing Unit was aware of the case and was reviewing the matter.

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