Italy readying evacuation plan for Lebanon

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's foreign ministry said on Friday it was preparing an evacuation plan for its nationals in the Lebanese capital Beirut, where Hezbollah fighters and pro-government gunmen have been battling for three days.

A ministry spokesman said the plan was not operational yet and would be enforced only if necessary.

He said Italians in certain parts of the city were being offered safe shelter if they wanted to leave their homes.

"I wouldn't call it at this phase an evacuation. We are ready for that, we are preparing it in case of need," the spokesman said.

"But what we are trying to do now is help Italians living in a specific area of the city to leave that place and go (if they want) to a specific shelter."

There are about 600 Italians living in Beirut, about 50 of them in the part of the city affected by the fighting, the ministry said. There are nearly 1,400 Italians registered as living in Lebanon.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart, editing by Tim Pearce)