UPDATE - China urges Israel to heed 'strong concerns,' stop military operations in Gaza

ADDS BACKGROUND

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - China on Wednesday urged Israel to heed the “strong concerns” of the international community and stop its military operations in the Gaza Strip.

“China firmly opposes Israel escalating its military operations in Gaza, condemns all moves that harm civilians, and violate international law,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news conference in Beijing.

The ministry spokesman told reporters that Beijing is “deeply concerned” over the further escalation of the tensions, and opposes relevant parties “fanning the flames.”

“We urge Israel to listen to the strong concerns of the international community, stop its military operations in Gaza at once, realize a full and lasting ceasefire as soon as possible, and avoid an even larger humanitarian crisis,” Lin said.

He expressed his hopes for all relevant parties to “act in the interests of regional peace and stability, uphold the position and responsible attitude to play a constructive role in de-escalating the situation.”

The Israeli army has killed almost 65,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.

On Tuesday, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory confirmed that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.

The commission’s report concluded that Israel committed four out of the five acts of genocide defined in the “Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.”

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war in the territory.