China's Refusal to Condemn Hamas 'Very Disturbing,' Israeli Diplomat Says

China's hesitance to condemn Hamas for its surprise attack on Israel is "disturbing," the Israeli envoy to Taiwan said Thursday.

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, fired thousands of rockets into Israel and conducted deadly raids into nearby Israeli communities on October 7, killing over 1,400 people.

The Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health has reported more than 7,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the Associated Press, since Israeli forces began a heavy bombardment of Gaza in preparation for a ground offensive aimed at wiping out the militant group.

Chinese officials have repeatedly called for a ceasefire and said they condemn any act that harms civilians. Yet, unlike Taiwan, they have stopped short of condemning Hamas itself. "This is actually something that is very disturbing with China," Israel's de facto ambassador Maya Yaron said at a Taipei event, per Channel NewsAsia.

Newsweek has reached out to Israel's representative office with a request for comment.

Taiwan, which was quick to express solidarity after Hamas' attack, is "a really good friend for Israel, and we truly appreciate everything that we receive," she said.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang previously told Newsweek that Taiwan condemns "any form of terrorist attack" and seeks to be "a responsible stakeholder" in the international community.

Like most countries, Israel does not officially recognize Taiwan, but it does maintain a representative office that performs the functions of an embassy.

In an October 16 interview with Taiwanese TV network Sanlih, Yaron said Israel does not target civilians on purpose and that it gives them notice before launching air strikes against suspected Hamas targets. She contrasted this with Hamas, who she said used civilians as human shields.

"I want to assure you that Israel cares more about the Palestinian population than Hamas ever did," Yaron said.

China's top diplomat Wang Yi has said the extent of Israel's airstrikes has gone "beyond the scope of self-defense."

China, along with Russia, on Wednesday vetoed a U.S. resolution in the U.N. Security Council that would have acknowledged Israel's right to defend itself and called for a temporary humanitarian ceasefire.

Wang is currently in Washington, where has spoken with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, with Middle East tensions looming large. He is expected to meet with President Joe Biden Friday.

The visit is being billed as a prelude to a long-anticipated face to face between Biden and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco next month.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to Newsweek's request for comment.

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