China “Should Have Taken a Stronger Stand” Against Hamas Attack, Says Israeli Diplomat in Beijing

An Israeli soldiers take cover behind a car as he looks toward bodies on a main road near the Gevim Kibbutz, close to the border with Gaza on October 7, 2023. Oren ZIV / AFP

China was among the last of the major powers to respond to the large-scale surprise attack by Hamas on Saturday that triggered an all-out war with Israel. And when the Foreign Ministry did issue a statement on Sunday, it was promptly derided by the Israeli embassy in Beijing as being wholly inadequate.

The Deputy Ambassador, Yuval Waks, blasted the Chinese government for not taking a stronger stand against the Palestinian militant group for the killing and kidnapping of civilians. The Ministry’s six-line response to the conflict expressed “concern” about the violence but did not condemn the initial attack that led to the death of at least 260 non-combatants. Instead, the Chinese government re-stated its longstanding position about the need for a two-state solution to resolve the decades-long battle between Israelis and Palestinians:

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by Eric Olander

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