IN-DEPTH: Israel–Hamas Conflict Will Aid China’s Interests in Middle East, Experts Say

The Chinese communist regime has claimed neutrality in the conflict, but experts believe the bloody developments largely serve China’s geopolitical interests.

Antonio Macías' mother cries over her son's body covered with the Israeli flag at Pardes Haim cemetery in Kfar Saba, near Tel Aviv, Israel, on Oct. 15, 2023. Francisco Seco/AP

The Oct. 7 incursion into Israel by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement has catapulted new geopolitical tensions into the Middle East. The event has drastically threatened the security matrix in many countries, particularly those with substantial Muslim populations. It has dramatically turned up the volume in the global social media ecosystem, amplifying a narrative war and spreading fear of hate crimes against Jews and Muslims.

Until the beginning of October, the Middle East narrative was dominated by the Abraham Accords—the first Arab-Israeli peace deal in 26 years; the Middle East QUAD—known as I2U2—between India, Israel, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE); and the India, Middle East, Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which was announced during the G20 September summit in New Delhi.