A total of 188 Swedish citizens who left the Lebanese capital Beirut due to intense Israeli bombardments arrived in southern Turkey by ferryboat on Wednesday morning, Turkey's semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.

Acting Swedish Ambassador to Turkey Carina Martensson welcomed the Swedish group at Mersin port, said the report, adding that the Swedish including children would stay in Mersin on Wednesday and leave for Sweden on Thursday.

A Swedish evacuee was quoted by Anatolia as saying that peoplein Beirut were living with fear of death.

Israel has intensified its military campaign in Lebanon, launching waves of airstrikes on Lebanese targets, killing over 250 Lebanese, most of them civilians.

Twenty-five Israelis have also been killed in the violence.

Thousands of foreign nationals are fleeing Lebanon, most of them by sea and land.