China Bans Citizens From Visiting Israel And Palestine

Gaza/ILLUSTRATION UNSPLASH/Mohammed Ibrahim

JAKARTA - The Chinese government has banned its citizens from traveling to Israel and Palestine for the time being due to the increase in armed conflict in the region which has killed hundreds of people.

"We remind Chinese citizens not to travel to Palestine or Israel," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said when delivering a statement to the media in Beijing, China. Monday, October 9.

The ban was issued following increased tensions between Israel and Palestine after the military wing of the Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel with at least 5,000 rockets in just 20 minutes on Saturday (7/10) morning local time.

The Chinese government also asked its citizens in the region to closely monitor the security situation on the ground, take extra precautions, and not leave the house as much as possible.

"In a state of emergency, we urge them to contact the Chinese Embassy in Israel and a representative office in Palestine for assistance," Mao said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to Mao Ning, has activated a consular protection emergency mechanism as soon as the conflict breaks out to coordinate and engage in efforts to protect Chinese citizens and institutions in Israel and Palestine.

The Chinese embassy in Israel and the Chinese representative office in Palestine, Mao said, have issued an emergency safety warning.

"They continue to be in contact with Chinese nationals there and do everything they can to protect the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions there," said the spokesman.

Mao was also asked if any Chinese nationals were victims or suffered losses due to Ma's increasing conflict.

He replied that the Chinese Embassy in Israel and the Chinese representative office in Palestine still maintain contact with Chinese nationals there and make every effort to provide assistance and maintain their security.

Hamas' surprise attack on Israel on Saturday killed about 700 people, according to a Reuters report.

Meanwhile, various international media reported that Israel, in response, had declared war on Hamas and retaliated by launching airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military previously said it had attacked 426 targets belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Sunday morning (8/10), including a complex belonging to the head of the group's intelligence department.

About 10 residential buildings in Gaza, including civilian facilities such as hospitals, were destroyed by a series of Israeli army attacks that killed civilians.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said nearly 400 people, including children, were killed in Israeli attacks, while more than 2,000 have been injured since the attack began on Saturday.

The UN Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) stated that currently there are nearly 74,000 refugees in 64 UNRWA shelters.

That number, the agency said, is likely to increase as massive shootings and airstrikes continue, including in civilian areas.