A viral video shows the moment an Israeli diplomat was stabbed in Beijing, China. You can watch the video later in this article, but be forewarned that it is graphic and disturbing.
The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in China confirmed the attack in a statement on X, and the U.S. ambassador expressed shock over the attack, warning American citizens in China to exercise caution.
The Associated Press also confirmed that the Israeli man, who works at the Israeli Embassy in Beijing, was stabbed on Friday, October 13, 2023.
The attack comes after a former Hamas leader issued a global call for October 13 to be a “day of anger,” according to The Hill, and in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel.
Here’s what you need to know:
The U.S. Embassy Says the ‘Israeli Diplomat’ Was Stabbed in Beijing’s Chaoyang District
GRAPHIC WARNING
Video emerges of Israeli diplomat being stabbed in Beijing, this morning.
The perpetrator is not believed to be ethnically Chinese.
Video confirms Chinese police responded to the scene.
The video shows a man on the ground as another man circles around him holding what appears to be a knife. Blood can be seen spattered on the ground. The victim and suspect then both stagger off. The suspect limps away carrying what appears to be a knife and a backpack.
“An Israeli diplomat was stabbed today in the Chaoyang District of Beijing,” the U.S. Embassy’s alert said. “The U.S. Embassy does not have details on the motivation of the attacker, but a former Hamas leader has called for October 13 to be a ‘day of rage,’ sparking caution in numerous countries around the world. The U.S. Embassy is not aware of specific threats to U.S. citizens but recommends maintaining vigilance with regard to personal security.”
The alert included “tips for personal security awareness.”
We are shocked by today’s attack on an Israeli diplomat in Beijing. I spoke with Israel’s Ambassador to China, Irit Ben-Abba, and have offered our full support to the Israeli Embassy and Israeli community in China.
Nicholas Burns, the U.S. ambassador to China, wrote on X, “We are shocked by today’s attack on an Israeli diplomat in Beijing. I spoke with Israel’s Ambassador to China, Irit Ben-Abba, and have offered our full support to the Israeli Embassy and Israeli community in China.”
The Israeli Diplomat Was Outside a Supermarket, Reports Say
An Israeli diplomat was stabbed today in the Chaoyang District of Beijing. The US Embassy does not have details on the motivation of the attacker. The US Embassy is not aware of specific threats to US citizens but recommends maintaining vigilance with regard to personal security.
According to the Associated Press, the Israeli man is 50 years old, and he was stabbed outside a supermarket.
AP attributed its report to both Chinese police and the Israeli government, saying that a “53-year-old foreign man” was arrested in the attack. His name, motive and nationality were not clear.
According to the AP, the victim was a family member of a diplomat. According to AP, it’s not clear whether the Hamas attacks on Israel, and Israel’s military response in Gaza were tied to the attack. However, the Times of Israel reported that, according to the Israeli government, the victim is an “Israeli employee of the Israeli embassy in Beijing.”
The employee was transferred to the hospital, and “he is in a stable condition,” an Israeli government statement said, according to AP.
The Times of Israel reported that the video was geolocated, showing it originated about a mile from the Israeli embassy in Beijing.
According to KOMO News, the day before the attack, Khaled Meshaal, a former leader of Hamas, said of Friday, October 13, “[We must] head to the squares and streets of the Arab and Islamic world on Friday. Deliver a message through the squares and the streets, a message of anger that we are with Palestine.”
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