Chinese embassy advises nationals to leave Israel

TEL AVIV: China’s embassy on Tuesday advised its citizens in Israel to leave the country “as soon as possible”, after Israel and Iran exchanged heavy strikes.

“The Chinese mission in Israel reminds Chinese nationals to leave the country as soon as possible via land border crossings, on the precondition that they can guarantee their personal safety,” the embassy said in a statement on WeChat.

“It is recommended to depart in the direction of Jordan,” the embassy’s statement said.

After decades of animosity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel launched a surprise aerial campaign last week against targets across Iran, claiming they aimed to prevent its arch-foe from acquiring nuclear weapons – an allegation Tehran denies.

The sudden flare-up in hostilities has sparked fears of a wider conflict, with US President Donald Trump urging Iran back to the negotiating table after Israel’s attacks derailed ongoing nuclear dialogue.

Chinese embassy warned on Tuesday the conflict was “continuing to escalate”.

“Much civilian infrastructure has been damaged, civilian casualties are on the rise, and the security situation is becoming more serious,” it added.