National confirmed dead in Gaza attack
By Guan Xiaofeng in Beijing and He Na in Jilin (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-06-09 00:25

The two children of a Chinese man killed in a Palestinian mortar attack in Israel on Tuesday afternoon were yesterday waiting for news from their mother there.

The yard of Bi's house in Jilin Province is viewed in this picture taken on June 8, 2005. [newsphoto]

According to reports from Northeast China's Jilin Province, Bi Shude, 46, who died in the attack on Tuesday, had two children.

His son, 21, and married daughter, 23, live in Xixiang Village, Jiangdian Town, Tonghua. They learned of their father's death from news reports yesterday.

Bi and his wife, 45, worked in the Gaza Strip where Tuesday's attack on the Jewish settlement of Ganei-Tal killed Bi and two others and wounded five Palestinian workers.

Bi's wife, who has not been identified, followed her husband to Gaza in 2001.

Contacted by the Chinese Embassy in Israel, Bi's wife, who worked as a housekeeper, identified her husband's body on Tuesday.

The Islamic Jihad (Holy War) claimed responsibility for the attack, calling it a retaliation for the death of Palestinians, including one of its commanders.

The Chinese Embassy said Bi came to apply for a passport several days ago, saying his had been lost.

The Chinese Embassy has urged Chinese workers to leave Gaza.

"The overall situation in Gaza is dangerous," said Fan Jianmin, a spokesperson at the Chinese Embassy in Israel. "We hope Chinese workers will leave the area as soon as possible."

Fan said eight Chinese have been killed and more than 20 wounded in the past five years of conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

The Ganei-Tal settlement where Bi was killed is to be evacuated and handed over to the Palestinians in two months, the Israeli Embassy in Beijing said.

Xinhua said Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz convened a meeting with senior security officials to discuss how to respond to the attack.

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