Chinese Foreign Minister calls for preventing further escalation in Palestinian-Israeli conflict

The current Palestinian-Israeli conflict, if escalated further, will cause even more serious humanitarian hardship, Wang Yi added

Beijing: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasised the need to prevent further escalation in the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict, citing its global impact and the critical choice between war and peace, China’s official state news agency, Xinhua, reported.

The current Palestinian-Israeli conflict, if escalated further, will cause even more serious humanitarian hardship, Wang Yi added.

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In a telephonic conversation with his Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, the Chinese Foreign Minister conveyed China’s deep concern over the escalating conflict and the resultant humanitarian crisis, expressing sadness over civilian casualties.

He condemned acts that harm civilians and violations of international law while stressing the importance of self-defence within the boundaries of international humanitarian law.

“China is deeply concerned about the continued escalation of the conflict and the worsening situation, and deeply saddened by the large number of civilian casualties caused by the conflict,” Wang Yi said.

“China condemns all acts that harm civilians and opposes any violation of international law,” said Wang Yi, according to Xinhua.

“All countries have the right to self-defence, but they should respect the international humanitarian law and protect the safety of civilians,” he added.

Wang Yi also underscored the significance of a common security concept for sustainable security and a political settlement direction for addressing Israel’s legitimate security concerns.

He advocated for the two-state solution as the consensus of the international community and urged both sides to return to the path of this solution for peaceful coexistence.

Wang reiterated China’s impartial stance on the Palestinian issue and its commitment to supporting peace initiatives. Additionally, he called for the protection of Chinese citizens and institutions in Israel, Xinhua reported.

Wang’s phone call came more than two weeks after the Hamas attack on Israel, killing at least 1,400 people; the majority of them were civilians who were shot, mutilated, or burned to death, including in their homes and at an outdoor music festival.

At least 5,087 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7.