War has smashed assumptions conflict
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has told his Israeli counterpart that Beijing was “deeply saddened” by the large number of civilian deaths in the escalating Israel-Hamas war and urged steps to prevent a further escalation in violence and establish a lasting peace.
The conflict, which erupted on October 7, represented a “major choice between war and peace”, Wang told Eli Cohen in a phone conversation, China’s state media reported on Tuesday.
The Chinese foreign minister, who is due to visit the United States later this week, acknowledged that every country had a right to self-defence, but “they should abide by international humanitarian law and protect the safety of civilians”.
China has condemned the conflict that began after the Hamas armed group launched a surprise attack on Israel that killed at least 1,400 people.
The Israeli government responded with a declaration of war on the Hamas-controlled enclave of Gaza, cutting off its supplies of food, water and power and subjecting the densely populated territory to relentless bombardment. About 2.3 million people live in Gaza, and more than 5,000 people have been killed in the past two weeks.
Wang told Cohen that China was “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,” according to the Xinhua news agency.
China has sought to position itself as a peacemaker in the conflict, and its special envoy to the Middle East Zhai Jun is currently on a tour of the region.
On Monday, Zhai said Beijing was willing to do “whatever is conducive” to promote dialogue, secure a ceasefire and restore peace. The envoy is due to travel to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday and will remain in the region in the coming days, according to the foreign ministry.
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