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Twenty-eight Hong Kong residents in Israel have sought help after clashes between Israel and Palestinian militants broke out, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday.

The Hong Kong leader said among the 28 assistant seekers, five of them had returned to Hong Kong and 15 of them had left the country.

Authorities will maintain dialogue with the remaining cases and render assistance according to their needs, as well as keeping a close tab on the local situation, said Lee.

Meanwhile, according to the Immigration Department, a tour group of 30 Hong Kong people is still in Israel, with some of them decided to return to Hong Kong ahead of schedule.

The SAR government on Sunday issued a red outbound travel alert for Israel, indicating that people should not make non-essential journeys to the country, and Hongkongers who are already there should take extra precautions.

This follows Saturday's unprecedented attack by Hamas militants into Israel and retaliation strikes by the Israeli military, which have left hundreds of people dead on both sides.

In a statement, the SAR government said anyone traveling to Israel should adjust their plans and call off any journeys that are not essential, including leisure travel.

A spokesman said: "Anyone already in the country should monitor the situation, exercise caution, attend to personal safety and avoid protests and large gatherings of people."

Hong Kong people are also advised to avoid all travel to Gaza and nearby areas as well as areas along the border with Syria and Lebanon due to the volatile security situation.

Twenty-eight HK residents seek help over Palestinian and Israeli conflict