China yesterday urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave “as soon as possible”, according to an embassy statement, the day after an Israeli strike in the country killed a senior Palestinian militant.

“Recently, the situation on the Lebanese-Israeli border has continued to be tense, and security circumstances in Lebanon are severe and complex,” China’s embassy in Beirut said.

“The current level of risk to travel in Lebanon’s South and Nabatieh Governorates is red (extremely high risk), and other areas is orange (high risk).”

The statement advised Chinese citizens in Lebanon to “take the opportunity while commercial flights are still running to return to China, or leave the country as soon as possible”.

The Israeli strike in Lebanon on Wednesday killed Khalil Maqdah, described by the Palestinian Fatah movement as “one of the leaders” of its armed wing in the country.
The attack led to accusations by Fatah that Israel was trying to ignite a regional war.

It also came hours after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ended a tour of the Middle East aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The killing of Maqdah marked the first time Israel has targeted a senior Fatah member in more than 10 months of cross-border clashes with Lebanese militants, mostly from Hezbollah, during the Gaza war.

Multiple nations have this month called for their citizens to leave Lebanon, where Hezbollah is based.

yesterdays’ statement by the Chinese embassy represented a hike in urgency, following its calls earlier this month for citizens to “travel with caution” should they visit Lebanon. 

– Nampa/AFP