One Chinese killed, Four Injured in Tel Aviv Blasts

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, July 19, 2002

One Chinese killed, Four Injured in Tel Aviv Blasts

A worker from the Fujian Futong International Economic Co-operation Company has been confirmed dead in one of two suicide bombings in Israel's coastal city of Tel Aviv on Wednesday night.

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Tel Aviv Suicide Bombing Kills 3

A worker from the Fujian Futong International Economic Co-operation Company has been confirmed dead in one of two suicide bombings in Israel's coastal city of Tel Aviv on Wednesday night.

Four workers from the Chongfu Foreign Labour Co-operation Company in East China's Fujian Province were injured in the bombing. Another worker, Li Bin, is still missing, said Chinese Embassy officials in Israel.

The victim is believed to be Xu Hengyong, 38, a resident of Pingtan in Fujian Province who arrived in Tel Aviv in October, said Ni Jian, counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Israel.

DNA tests are being done to confirm the identity because Xu has a brother there as well, Ni said.

One of the injured Chinese workers was treated and released from the hospital; the other three are still being treated, but two of them are expected to go home Friday, embassy officials said.

The attacks occurred in an area near the city's old bus station that is frequented by foreign workers. At least seven people were killed in all -- two of them suspected suicide bombers -- and at least 40 people were injured in the pair of explosions.

China condemns suicide bombings

The Chinese Embassy in Israel released a statement Thursday strongly condemning the bombings targeting innocents and expressing deep sympathy for the deaths just three months after the bombing that killed two Chinese workers.

The Chinese Embassy in Israel is urging all Chinese people to take care in the war-torn region and to keep in regular contact with the embassy in case of an emergency.

Ni also said the Chinese side has talked with the Israeli National Insurance Institute about providing pensions for relatives of the Chinese victims.

Also Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said the Chinese Government has consistently opposed terrorist acts targeted at innocent civilians and condemns the recent suicide bombings.

To avoid further deterioration of the Middle East situation, he said, China is calling on both Israel and Palestine to co-operate with the international community in their peace-promoting efforts and resume peace negotiations quickly.

In a statement, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) condemned the suicide bombings and reiterated its disapproval of any attacks that kill people, including Israelis, Palestinians and foreign workers, because such attacks threaten the national interests of Palestine.

The Israeli Government should take most of the responsibility for the explosions since the suicide attacks were triggered by Israeli troops who have wantonly encroached on Palestinian territory and people, the statement said.

Israel blamed the PNA for the recent pair of bombings, but the Palestinian radical group Islamic Jihad (Holy War) has claimed responsibility.

Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer has issued an order to freeze measures aimed at easing restrictions on Palestinian trade and industry.

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