Israel’s actions in Gaza have gone “beyond the scope of self-defense” and it must “cease its collective punishment of the people of Gaza,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in remarks published yesterday.
His remarks, made in a call with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Saturday, came as Israel appeared poised for a ground offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza.
Israel “should listen earnestly to the calls of the international community and the UN secretary general, and cease its collective punishment of the people of Gaza,” Wang said, according to a foreign ministry readout, in the strongest stance China has expressed so far on the conflict.
More than one million people in the northern part of the crowded enclave have been ordered to flee ahead of the expected assault, an exodus that aid groups said would set off a humanitarian disaster.
The cramped and impoverished territory, where 2.3 million residents live on top of each other, has been under a land, air and sea blockade since 2006.
After Hamas fighters broke through the heavily fortified border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to gun down, stab and burn to death more than 1,300 people, Israel launched a massive retaliatory bombing campaign targeting the Islamist group that has killed over 2,200 in Gaza. Most of those killed on both sides are civilians.
Wang said “all parties should not take any action to escalate the situation and should return to the negotiating table as soon as possible.”
Wang also said in a call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Saturday that Washington should “play a constructive and responsible role,” and urged “the convening of an international peace meeting as soon as possible to promote the reaching of broad consensus.”
China’s official statements have not specifically named Hamas in their condemnations of violence, leading to criticism from some in the West who said they were too weak.
CCTV said yesterday that special envoy Zhai Jun will visit the Middle East this week to push for a ceasefire and promote peace talks.
Zhai said in an interview that “the prospect of further broadening and outward spillover [of the conflict] is deeply worrying,” CCTV said.
Zhai met Friday with the Arab League’s representatives in China and said Beijing supported the regional group “in playing an important role on the Palestine issue,” according to the foreign ministry.
He told the bloc that Beijing would “make unremitting efforts to get the Middle East peace process back on track,” the statement added.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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