China urges citizens to leave Israel 'as soon as possible'

China has urged its citizens in Israel to leave "as soon as possible," as tensions between Israel and Lebanon's Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah escalate.

"Currently, the situation along the Israel-Lebanon border is extremely tense, with frequent military conflicts," China's embassy in Israel said in a statement.

The embassy urged Chinese citizens in Israel to "return home or relocate to safer areas as soon as possible."

Israel and Hezbollah threatened to escalate their cross-border attacks despite international calls for both sides to step back.

An Israeli air strike in a densely populated Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut Friday killed the head of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force, Ibrahim Aqil.

It came after a series of coordinated communications device blasts last week across Lebanon that killed 39 people and wounded almost 3,000.

Meanwhile, Israel's military pounded Hezbollah targets in south and east Lebanon yesterday, warning Lebanese to stay out of harm's way.

After nearly a year of cross-border fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, the strikes since the weekend are the most intense since the outbreak of war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip last October 7.

Israel said more than 300 Hezbollah sites had been targeted yesterday in dozens of strikes.

Lebanon's official National News Agency reported "more than 80 airstrikes in half an hour," targeting south Lebanon, as well as "intense raids" in the Bekaa Valley to the east.

Israel military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari made a first-of-its-kind appeal to people in Lebanon to avoid targets linked to Hezbollah as strikes would "go on for the near future."

On Sunday, Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel forced Israelis to seek shelter and caused damage in the area of Haifa.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE