Israeli embassy employee attacked with knife in Beijing

An Israeli embassy worker in China's capital was attacked with a knife by another foreign national and hospitalised on Friday, with the suspect later arrested, officials said.

Video geolocated by AFP shows the man was stabbed with a knife on a street in the Chinese capital.

"An Israeli employee of the Israeli embassy in Beijing was attacked today," Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that the attack did not take place at the embassy compound.

"The employee is being treated at hospital and is in stable condition," the statement said. "The motive for the assault is being looked into."

In a statement, police in Beijing's Chaoyang District said "a 50-year-old male relative of an Israeli diplomat was stabbed by another foreign national outside the entrance to a supermarket."

A preliminary investigation had shown the foreign national to be "a 53-year-old male involved in small goods trading in Beijing," the statement said.

The suspect has been arrested and an investigation is underway, according to police.

"China expresses condolences to the injured party from the Israeli embassy in China," a foreign ministry spokesman said.

"China has always placed high importance on the safety of foreign missions and their workers in the country, and will continue to provide security guarantees."

US ambassador to China Nicholas Burns offered his "full support" to the Israeli embassy and community in China.

"We are shocked by today's attack on an Israeli diplomat in Beijing," Burns said in a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, adding he had spoken with Israel's ambassador to China Irit Ben-Abba.

- Protests 'liable to turn violent' -

The attack took place amid Israel's strikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip after the Palestinian militants stormed across its border at the weekend, killing more than 1,300 people.

Israel's bombardment has claimed almost 1,800 lives in Gaza.

A video posted on social media and geolocated by AFP to an area around a kilometre and a half (about one mile) from the embassy shows a man brandishing a knife repeatedly stabbing another man, with blood visible on the pavement.

The man with the blade can later be seen leaving the site, weapon in hand.

In another video of the same location, security staff are seen questioning people and making phone calls.

The victim is seen being carried away, likely for medical treatment, to a vehicle out of frame.

An AFP journalist at the scene where the stabbing occurred said there were eight plainclothes police officers present.

A statement on the Israeli foreign ministry warned that Hamas had called on "all of its supporters around the world to hold a 'Day of Rage'" on Friday to "attack Israelis and Jews."

"It is reasonable to assume that there will be protest events in various countries that are liable to turn violent," the statement said.

The Israeli embassy, located in a diplomatic neighbourhood of northeast Beijing, appeared to be operating normally on Friday afternoon, an AFP journalist saw.