Twenty-eight Hong Kong residents in Israel have requested assistance after war broke out between Israel and Palestinian Islamic militant group Hamas, Chief Executive John Lee has said.
Meanwhile, Israel’s consulate in Hong Kong has condemned Hamas in a strongly worded statement, while airline Cathay Pacific has cancelled flights on its route between Hong Kong and the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of a weekly meeting with his cabinet, Lee said five of the 28 residents who filed reports to the Immigration Department had returned to Hong Kong, and 15 more had left the country.
Arrangements were being made for the other cases, Lee said, adding that the Hong Kong government would remain in contact with the Chinese Embassy in Israel.
The Hong Kong government on Sunday night raised the travel advisory level for Israel to red as the country declared war against Hamas.
“Residents who intend to visit Israel should adjust their travel plans and avoid non-essential travel, including leisure travel. Those already there should monitor the situation, exercise caution, attend to personal safety and avoid protests and large gatherings of people,” a government spokesman said.
“Residents should avoid all travels to Gaza and nearby areas as well as areas along the border with Syria and Lebanon due to the volatile security situation.”
‘Act of war’
On Saturday, the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israel. Early that morning, Hamas fired thousands of rockets into southern Israel as its militants entered the country and opened fire on civilians, leaving hundreds dead.
In response, on Monday, Israel Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told the press: “I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we will act accordingly.”
Hamas has been in charge of the Gaza Strip, which is home to 2.3 million Palestinians, since 2006. Gaza and the West Bank, which make up the state of Palestine, have been under Israeli military occupation since 1967.
The Consulate General of Israel in Hong Kong issued a statement on Tuesday calling the Hamas militants “terrorists” and condemning the attack as an “act of war.”
“This is a deadly and barbaric attack launched with no legitimate pretext or provocative prior action on the part of Israel,” said Consul General Amir Lati.
Lati said 900 people had been “murdered” in Israel, with more than 2,600 wounded, adding that over 130 were missing or believed to have been taken hostage. Israel’s military spokesperson Richard Hecht said “approximately 1,500 bodies of Hamas [fighters] were found in Israel around the Gaza Strip.”
Israel retaliates
Israel launched airstrikes on the Gaza Strip in retaliation. The strikes on Gaza razed 790 housing units and severely damaged 5,330, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Tuesday.
Al Jazeera has reported that over 700 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks, with the Palestinian health ministry and the World Health Organisation calling for a humanitarian corridor “to ensure the entry of urgent medical aid” into Gaza hospitals.
Gaza hospitals were reportedly overwhelmed by the number of deaths and injuries.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address on Monday that Israel’s offensive against Hamas has “only started.”
“What we will do to our enemies in the coming days will reverberate with them for generations,” he added.
Lati also claimed that Hamas’s attack was backed by Iran, which he said “proactively promotes terrorist activity in Israel and against Israeli and Jewish targets around the world.” A Hamas official, meanwhile, has denied backing from Iran.
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