What’s new: At least three Chinese nationals have been killed in the Israel-Palestine conflict which broke out Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Thursday.
Two Chinese citizens remain missing and an unspecified number have been wounded, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during a daily press briefing. He did not reveal additional details of the victims.
Chinese diplomatic agencies are working to coordinate treatment for the injured nationals and making arrangements for the deceased, Wang said. He also urged relevant countries to “make every effort” to search for the missing persons and ensure the safety of Chinese people and organizations.
The background: The latest official figures showed that the Hamas-Israel conflict has claimed more than 2,200 lives as of Wednesday, of which 1,200 were from Israel and more than 1,050 from Palestine. Another 3,000 Israelis and over 5,000 Palestinians have been injured.
At least 22 U.S. citizens have been killed during the attacks, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Wednesday. The number of U.K. nationals that are dead or missing rose to 17 Wednesday, according to a BBC report.
China has condemned the violence against civilians following escalating attacks between Israel and Hamas militant group and called for an immediate ceasefire.
Contact reporter Kelly Wang (jingzhewang@caixin.com)
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