Several countries called on their citizens to leave Lebanon on Sunday, and this increased in conjunction with fears of a military escalation between Iran and its allies on the one hand, and Israel on the other, following the assassination of the head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

Countries such as Sweden, Japan, the United States, Britain, France, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have called on their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately, while airlines have suspended flights to Beirut.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry issued a warning on Monday urging Japanese citizens in Lebanon to leave the country, due to the escalating tension in the Middle East.

The British embassy announced the temporary withdrawal of its diplomats' families from Beirut, while Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi met in Tehran with the Iranian Chargé d'Affaires and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Paris also called on French nationals residing in Iran to "temporarily leave the country."

The Turkish Foreign Ministry urged Turkish nationals in Lebanon on Sunday evening to leave the country if there is no need for them to stay, given the possibility of the security situation deteriorating rapidly.

G7 foreign ministers held a video conference to discuss the situation in the Middle East, expressing "deep concern" over fears of escalation, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said.

For their part, French President Emmanuel Macron and Jordanian King Abdullah II called for avoiding military escalation in the Middle East "at any cost."

In contrast, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant stressed "raising the level of alert and defensive readiness," adding, "We are ready to respond quickly or to attack."

In a related context, the United States has strengthened its military system in the region, and deployed more warships and fighter aircraft to protect its soldiers and its ally, Israel.