“I saw with my eyes a living human standing there being killed,” a Chinese national in southern Israel’s city of Ashkelon recounts. He called the experience “the most horrific moment” of his life; one of many horrifying moments since Hamas launched its devastating attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
He and thousands of other Chinese working in Israel are stranded amidst an escalating conflict. And despite the popularity of Chinese patriotic films like Home Coming (2022) that depict the thrilling evacuations of Chinese from foreign war zones, no such rescue awaits them.
Ashkelon is on the Mediterranean coast, just 8 miles north of the Gaza Strip border. The city took the brunt of the rocket fire when Hamas started the war with Israel over a week ago, and came under fire again on Oct. 14.
Yang Ming (a pseudonym) has worked in Ashkelon for five years. He told The Epoch Times on Oct. 11 that in the days immediately after the attacks, he and other Chinese nationals didn’t dare leave their homes.
Fellow Chinese national Li Min (a pseudonym as well), who also works in Ashkelon, said “the bombing stunned me.“ He said ”all the neighboring buildings” within a quarter-mile radius of him were bombed.
“It’s terrifying; the air-raid sirens go off several times a day, and we’re dodging bombs every day,” Mr. Li said.
The men described the “safe rooms” in which locals take shelter when air-raid sirens blare. Almost every Israeli family has a “mamad,” a fortified room that can withstand explosions and shrapnel from conventional, chemical, and biological weapons.
Since the surprise attack by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas on Oct. 7, more than 1,400 Israelis and citizens of several countries have been killed, and hundreds of hostages have been abducted. The death toll is still mounting.
On Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed that the number of Chinese killed in the conflict had risen to four. An additional two are missing and six have been injured, according to Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, speaking at her regular press conference.
No Help From Home
Just a day before the attack, Mr. Li had purchased a flight to return to China on Nov. 27. Now he is unsure when he will be able to return to his homeland.The price of flights back to China has risen to 100,000 yuan (about $14,000) and requires connecting flights to three countries, Mr. Yang said.
The men told reporters that since the start of the war, the Chinese embassy in Israel has only sent one notice warning of danger. They said they did not plan to contact the embassy for help.
On Oct. 9, a Chinese woman trying to leave Israel posted on Chinese social media that she had booked a flight from Tel Aviv to Shanghai but was then told by Hainan Airlines—the only Chinese carrier with direct flights from Israel—that the flight had been canceled.
Worried, she called the Chinese Embassy in Israel for help but was told to “figure it out on her own,” she said.
The post drew angry comments like “Who does this government serve?”
The Epoch Times attempted to contact the Chinese Embassy in Israel without success.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry’s Ms. Mao advised Chinese nationals stranded in Israel to “fly back to China on commercial flights as soon as possible.”
Ms. Mao said that “commercial flights between China and Israel are still in operation.”
China’s Role and Response
When questioned about China’s expected role in solving the Gaza crisis, Ms. Mao said Beijing will “continue to play our role and make efforts for peace and stability in the Middle East.”China’s immediate actions after the Hamas attack included calling for an independent Palestinian state. Beijing failed to clearly condemn Hamas, although it condemned “acts harming civilians.”
However, statements from Beijing this weekend moved even farther from a neutral stance.
In a call with Iran’s foreign minister on Sunday, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said “China will stand on the side of peace and justice and support the Palestinian people in their just cause of safeguarding their national rights,” the South China Morning Post reported.
Also on Sunday, in a call with his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Mr. Wang said “Israel’s actions have gone beyond self-defense,” according to China’s state news agency Xinhua.
Safer to Stay
Mr. Yang said he feels it may actually be safer for him to stay in Israel. There, he feels the government will at least attempt to protect him along with its citizens.He doesn’t have the same confidence that his home country will safeguard what might be a complicated and dangerous journey back to China.
Further, he remarks, he is not seeing the panic he would expect in China in a similar situation. “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.
