Thousands of Chinese nationals working in southern Israel have found themselves trapped in the crossfire of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza with no help coming from home.
Ashkelon, a coastal city in Israel just eight miles north of Gaza, bore the brunt of rocket launches when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. The attack resulted in the deaths of more than 1,400 Israelis and citizens of different countries, with hundreds taken as hostages. The death toll continues to rise while the conflict intensifies.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that four Chinese nationals have been killed, with two missing and six injured. Thousands of Chinese workers, including Yang Ming and Li Min (their pseudonyms), are still living in fear and trapped in Israel. (Related: State Department: At least 22 American citizens KILLED (so far) in Israel-Hamas conflict.)
"The bombing stunned me. All the neighboring buildings within a quarter-mile radius of me were bombed," Li recounted. "It's terrifying; the air-raid sirens go off several times a day, and we’re dodging bombs every day,"
Li, who has been working in Ashkelon for several years, already purchased a Nov. 27 flight to China one day before the attack began. Now, the ongoing war is making the prospect of going home impossible.
Yang meanwhile remarked that the price of flights back to China has risen to 100,000 Chinese yuan ($13,600). Going home also requires connecting flights to three countries, he added.
Similarly, a Chinese woman who tried to leave Israel found that Hainan Airlines, the sole Chinese carrier with direct flights from Israel, canceled her flight from Tel Aviv to Shanghai. She then reached out to the Chinese Embassy in Israel for assistance, but she was told to "figure it out on her own."
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These stranded Chinese nationals in Israel received no warning of danger from the Chinese Embassy in Israel. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning advised stranded Chinese nationals to return to China on commercial flights as soon as possible, while commercial flights between China and Israel are still operational.
China's diplomatic approach in Israel-Hamas war sparks debate
The role of China in the Israel-Hamas war has faced scrutiny after it initially called for an independent Palestinian state without explicitly condemning Hamas. Additionally, the communist nation's most recent statements have leaned further toward supporting the Palestinian cause.
In an Oct. 14 phone call between Foreign Minister Wang Yi of China and his counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, Wang urged the Israeli government to cease its military operations in Gaza. Wang contended that Israel has gone "beyond self-defense" and done "collective punishment of civilians in Gaza."
A similar incident happened after the Hamas militant group attacked Israel on Oct. 7. China called for "relevant parties" to "stay calm" and "exercise restraint" as their first response. Though China did not mention Hamas, the lines show a lack of sympathy for Israeli victims.
"There was no clear and unequivocal condemnation of the terrible massacre committed by the terrorist organization Hamas against innocent civilians and the abduction of dozens of them to Gaza,” the Israeli foreign ministry said. After that, China's Foreign Ministry issued an updated statement. Wang then condemned violent acts against civilians but still avoid direct mention of Hamas.
"We have to look at China's relationship with Iran because Iran has often been a proxy for Beijing. And, of course, Hamas is a proxy of Iran. So really, what we've got here is China fueling these brutal attacks and this invasion of Israel," commented author and political analyst Gordon Chang.
Therefore, the financial support of China for Iran could indirectly fund groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. And so, Chinese nationals in Israel, like Yang, feel that remaining in Israel might be safer. In short, during this time of war, he could not trust the government.
"The current situation is relatively calm [in Israel], and there is no panic, no increase in goods prices in the supermarkets, no scrambling for foods," he said.
Follow WWIII.news for more news on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Watch this TruNews segment where Rick Wiles and Doc Burkhart talk about the Hamas attack and Israel's retaliation.
This video is from the TruNews channel on Brighteon.com.
More related stories:
Rick Wiles of TruNews: Hamas attack on Israel was WELL-PLANNED and CHOREOGRAPHED.
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