Beijing police confirms stabbing of Israeli embassy staff member

A 50-year-old Israeli man, employed at the country's Embassy in Beijing fell victim to a stabbing incident in front of a supermarket on October 13, as reported by both Chinese law enforcement and the Israeli government.

According to the South China Morning Post, Beijing's police apprehended a 53-year-old foreign individual, with the victim identified as a family member of an Israeli diplomat. The motive behind the attack remains undisclosed, and any potential links to the conflict between Israel and Hamas are yet to be determined.

A video circulating on social media captured the assailant wielding a knife and engaging in a violent confrontation with the victim, resulting in multiple stabbings and leaving a grim trail of blood on the sidewalk.

While no motive for the stabbing could yet be established, it occurred as Israel voiced sharp critique of China's response to the initial Hamas attack. Israeli Ambassador Rafi Harpaz voiced his disappointment over China's statement, noting that it lacked a clear and unequivocal condemnation of the terrorist organization Hamas for their brutal actions against innocent civilians, including the abduction of numerous individuals to Gaza. He emphasized that the Chinese statement "did not contain any element of Israel’s right to defend itself and its citizens, a fundamental right of any sovereign country that was attacked in an unprecedented manner and with cruelty that has no place in human society”.