What’s new: China opposes and condemns acts that harm civilians in the Israel-Palestine conflict, Beijing’s special envoy on Middle East affairs told a senior Egyptian diplomat, as the death toll from the fighting that erupted Saturday reached over 2,200.
In a Tuesday phone call between Chinese envoy Zhai Jun and Osama Khedr, assistant minister of the Egyptian foreign ministry’s Palestine Department, Zhai reiterated China’s call for an immediate ceasefire and expressed “deep concern” over the escalation of tensions and high civilian casualty numbers, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
China is ready to provide humanitarian support to the Palestinian people to avoid the humanitarian crisis from further escalating in the Gaza Strip, Zhai said.
Beijing is willing to work with Cairo in promoting a ceasefire in the conflict, Zhai said, while Khedr said “Egypt looks forward to working with China to make efforts to promote the de-escalation of the situation,” according to the statement.
The background: China called for an immediate ceasefire between Palestinian armed groups and Israel in a foreign ministry statement on Oct. 8, one day after militant organization Hamas conducted a surprise attack on Israel.
As of Wednesday, at least 1,200 people from Israel and 1,050 from Palestine had been killed, according to figures from Israeli and Palestinian authorities. More than 260,000 people in the Gaza Strip have been displaced as a result of the fighting, the United Nations said.
Beijing has backed the two-state solution — establishing an independent state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel — calling it the “fundamental way out of the conflict.”
Contact reporter Kelly Wang (jingzhewang@caixin.com) and editor Bertrand Teo (bertrandteo@caixin.com)
Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter.
