China has advised its citizens in Israel to leave “as soon as possible” due to escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon.
In a statement on Sunday, the Chinese embassy in Israel described the situation along the Israel-Lebanon border as “extremely tense,” with frequent military conflicts. The embassy emphasized that the security environment in Israel is “severe, complex, and unpredictable,” urging citizens to “return home or relocate to safer areas as soon as possible.”
On the same day, both Israel and Hezbollah indicated they might intensify their cross-border attacks, despite international appeals for restraint. An Israeli airstrike in a heavily populated Hezbollah area in southern Beirut on Friday resulted in the death of Ibrahim Aqil, the head of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force.
This attack followed a series of explosions across Lebanon earlier in the week, which killed 39 people and injured nearly 3,000, and were attributed to Israel.
Last month, China also urged its citizens in Lebanon to evacuate after an Israeli strike killed a senior Palestinian militant.
