ISTANBUL
China on Wednesday urged its citizens in Israel to avoid working in West Bank settlements and East Jerusalem, warning that employment in these “sensitive regions” violates labor agreements and amounts to illegal employment, state media reported.
“The Chinese government has always strictly implemented the UN Security Council resolutions, fulfilled relevant international obligations, and prohibited Chinese nationals from working in sensitive areas such as settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” the Chinese Embassy in Israel said in a statement carried by Global Times.
Workers in such areas, it added, would be considered in breach of contract and ineligible for consular assistance.
The embassy called on Chinese nationals to comply with their employment terms and refrain from taking jobs in Israeli settlements to protect their safety and legal rights.
-Ongoing violence in occupied territories
The warning came the same day as new settler attacks on Palestinian communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. A Palestinian man and a foreign activist were injured, and two vehicles were torched in scattered incidents.
According to the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, settlers launched 415 attacks in May alone, including armed raids, property damage, and road blockades that fragmented Palestinian territory.
Since Israel’s assault on Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, at least 977 Palestinians have been killed and over 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported.
In a July opinion, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.