Saudi Arabia renews call for nationals to leave Lebanon ‘immediately’

Saudi Arabia renewed its call Sunday for its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately amid rising border tensions between Hezbollah and Israel.

In a statement, the Saudi Embassy in Beirut said it is closely monitoring the situation in southern Lebanon and called on Saudi citizens to leave the Lebanese territory immediately.

After the Israeli army authorized operational plans for a "wide-scale attack" on Lebanon at the end of June, the Saudi Embassy issued an urgent call for its nationals to evacuate the country.

Tension has escalated between Hezbollah and Israel since Tel Aviv assassinated senior military commander Fouad Shukr in an airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb on July 30.

Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was also assassinated in Tehran the following day, in an attack blamed on Israel although Tel Aviv has not confirmed or denied its responsibility.

Hamas and Iran have vowed to retaliate for Haniyeh's assassination, while Hezbollah has pledged to respond to Shukr's killing.

Fears have grown over a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah amid a months-long exchange of cross-border fire.

The escalation comes against the backdrop of an Israeli onslaught on Gaza, which has killed nearly 39,600 victims since last October, following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.