BEIJING: China on Thursday urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave the country “as soon as possible”, according to an embassy statement, in response to heightened security concerns following a recent Israeli airstrike that killed a senior leader of a Palestinian group.
The statement of the Chinese embassy in Beirut highlighted the severe and complex security circumstances, particularly in the South and Nabatieh Governorates, which are classified as having an “extremely high risk” level.
Other areas of Lebanon are categorized with a “high risk” level. The embassy has urged Chinese nationals to take advantage of commercial flights while they are still operational to return to China or evacuate the country promptly.
This advisory comes after an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday that targeted and killed Khalil Maqdah, a high-ranking member of the Palestinian Fatah movement’s armed wing in Lebanon. Maqdah’s death marks the first time in over ten months that Israel has targeted a senior figure associated with Fatah amid ongoing cross-border clashes with Hezbollah, during the ongoing Gaza conflict.
The Israeli attack has intensified accusations from Fatah that Israel is attempting to incite a broader regional conflict. This escalation follows a recent visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who had been touring the Middle East in an effort to broker a ceasefire amidst the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
Several nations have this month urged their citizens to leave Lebanon.
