China urges citizens to take ‘caution’ in Lebanon travel

Passengers departure from Rafic Hariri International Airport as many flights are delayed or cancelled in Beirut on July 29, 2024. Photo by AFP

In a statement issued Monday evening Beijing time, the embassy warned citizens the situation in the country was “grave and complex”.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Lebanon remind Chinese citizens to closely monitor the evolution of the local situation and to travel with caution in Lebanon in the near future,” the embassy said on its official WeChat account.

As Israel’s war against Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza nears the 11th month, the Tehran-aligned “Axis of Resistance” is widely expected to retaliate after the killing of two senior figures.

Palestinian armed group Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran last week in an attack blamed on Israel, which has not directly commented on it.

The killing came hours after an Israeli strike on Beirut killed the military chief of Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, Fuad Shukr.

Hezbollah and Israel have continued near-daily exchanges of fire.

Multiple nations called on Monday for their citizens to leave Lebanon, where Hezbollah is based.

Beijing’s embassy also advised Chinese to “remain very vigilant” should they travel to the country.

“If Chinese citizens insist on going (to Lebanon) despite the warning, they may face higher security risks,” it cautioned.