Israel omitted from online maps in China amid war on Hamas in Gaza

There have been reports that China is quietly censoring Israeli locations from its maps in the wake of a war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, which began on May 10.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the locations of cities, towns, settlements, and military bases in Israel are missing from local versions of Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Baidu Maps, the most popular online maps in China. The newspaper reported that searches for “Israel” and “Palestine” are redirected to “Middle East” on Baidu Maps.

This partially corroborates a report from The Jerusalem Post that China has taken steps to block information related to Israel that could be seen by its citizens.

At this time, it is unclear why China is omitting Israeli locations from its maps. It is possible that it is part of a broader effort to snub Israel in light of its latest military action in Gaza. It may also be a way for China to express its support for the Palestinians.