China’s ambassador to Israel Du Wei was found dead at his home in a Tel Aviv suburb on Sunday, according to media reports.
Israel’s foreign ministry and the police spokesman have confirmed the death of the 57-year-old diplomat, but have not commented on the cause of death.
“As part of the regular procedure, police units are at the scene,” a police spokesman told the media.
Israel’s Channel 12 TV, quoting unidentified emergency medical officials, said initial indications were that Du died in his sleep of natural causes.
Du was assigned to the post in February in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, following a three-year spell as the ambassador to Ukraine.
He has been with the Chinese foreign ministry for 31 years and was married with a son, according to the embassy website.
His death came three days after Chinese diplomats lashed out at US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after he blamed China for the Covid-19 outbreak.
In a response published in The Jerusalem Post on May 14, the Chinese embassy said the US should take the responsibility for the situation in its own country.
“Currently, the United States is the epicentre of the pandemic … But, the current situation in the US is not caused by China, rather the inaction of a few American politicians who missed the window of opportunity to bring the virus under control.
“From this perspective, the tragedy in the US is not only a natural disaster but also a result of mismanagement,” the embassy said.
