China on Thursday urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave “as soon as possible”, according to an embassy statement, the day after a Zionist strike in the country killed a senior Palestinian militant.
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 Zionist 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 the Zionist entity 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 the ongoing war on Gaza.
The killing of Maqdah marked the first time the Zionist entity 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.
Thursday’s 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.
