China “deeply concerned” over turmoil in Middle East, opposes violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty

Reacting to reports that Israel has launched ground military operations in Southern Lebanon, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated on Wednesday that China is “deeply concerned” about turmoil in the Middle East and opposes violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, the China-based Global Times reported.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that Beijing opposes moves that fuel antagonism and escalate tensions. The spokesperson urged the international community, particularly major nations with influence, to play a constructive role and avoid further turmoil, as reported by the Global Times.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson added that Beijing considers the protracted fighting in Gaza the “root cause of this round of turmoil in the Middle East” and stressed that all parties need to work urgently for a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire, Global Times reported.

The situation in West Asia continues to escalate. On Wednesday, a day after Iran targeted Israel with a rocket barrage, the IDF called on Lebanese civilians in two dozen villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately.”Hezbollah’s activity forces the IDF to act against it.

The IDF does not wish to harm you. For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately. Anyone who is near Hezbollah operatives, their facilities, or their weapons, puts themselves at risk,” Colonel Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, said in a statement on X.

The Israeli military said it will update the civilians when they can return. On Tuesday, the Israeli military issued similar orders to 28 other villages in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military has described its ground operations in southern Lebanon as “limited, localised, and targeted raids,” with the goal of demolishing Hezbollah’s infrastructure in the border area.

Earlier, in a series of targeted airstrikes, Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets, under precise guidance from the Intelligence Directorate, struck multiple Hezbollah weapons production sites and terrorist infrastructure across Beirut.

According to a post by the IAF on their official X handle (formerly Twitter), numerous measures were taken to minimise harm to civilians, including advance warnings to those in the affected areas. The statement highlighted Hezbollah’s practice of placing weaponry beneath residential buildings, further endangering the civilian population.

The Israeli Air Force said, “Fighter jets of the Air Force, under the precise intelligence guidance of the Intelligence Division, carried out a series of targeted attacks in recent days throughout Beirut against a number of munitions production sites and other terrorist infrastructures in the area. Before the attack, many steps were taken to reduce the chance of harm to those not involved, advance warnings to the population in the area.”

“The terrorist organization Hezbollah places its production sites and means of warfare, including under residential buildings in the heart of Beirut, putting the population in the area at risk. The attacks were intended to damage the organization’s capabilities, and at this time the IDF continues to attack with force to damage and destroy Hezbollah’s military capabilities and infrastructure,” it added.