The international community must take urgent action to stop the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday during a visit to Beijing by diplomats from Arab and Muslim-majority countries.
“Let us work together to quickly calm the situation in Gaza and restore peace in the Middle East as soon as possible,” Wang said in an opening statement.
“A humanitarian catastrophe is occurring in Gaza,” the Chinese official told diplomats, who included the foreign ministers of the Palestinian Authority, Indonesia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
“The situation in Gaza affects all countries in the world, it calls into question the human sense of right and wrong and the limits of humanity,” he added.
“The international community must act urgently and take effective measures to prevent the spread of this tragedy,” demanded the Chinese diplomatic chief.
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Chinese diplomacy spokesman Mao Ning had said in a statement that the visit would “establish intensive communication and coordination with the joint delegation of foreign ministers of Arab and Muslim countries to promote de-escalation of the current Israeli conflict.” “Palestinians , protection of civilians and a just solution to the Palestinian question.”
The delegation also includes the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
After war broke out between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on October 7, Wang called for an immediate ceasefire.
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In the past, Beijing has tended to support the Palestinians and the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Palestinian Authority was intended to be a first step toward an independent Palestinian state, but it has little de facto authority in the West Bank and none in the Gaza Strip, from which it was expelled by Hamas in 2007.
The announcement of the visit came after US President Joe Biden proposed a “reunification” of Gaza and the West Bank under a “strengthened” Palestinian Authority.
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China has increased its presence in the Middle East in recent years and repeatedly offers mediation in regional disputes.
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