China urges citizens to leave Israel ‘as soon as possible’

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - China urged its citizens to leave Israel “as soon as possible,” as the military conflict between Tel Aviv and Iran continued on Tuesday, Chinese state media reported.

The Chinese Embassy in Tel Aviv advised Chinese nationals in Israel to “leave the country as soon as possible via land border crossings, while ensuring their personal safety,” the state-run daily Global Times reported.

The embassy “recommended using Jordan as a priority route.”

Regional tensions have escalated since Friday, when Israel launched airstrikes on multiple sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.

Israeli authorities said at least 24 people have been killed and hundreds injured in Iranian missile attacks since then.

Iran said at least 224 people have been killed and over 1,000 others wounded in the Israeli assault.​​​​​​​

China has condemned Israel over its attacks on Iran and warned that Middle Eastern nations would be the “first to suffer” if the conflict escalates.