UPDATE - China warns of possible escalation after Israel strikes Doha

CHANGES DECK, ADDS QUOTES BY LIN

By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) - China on Wednesday condemned Israel's attacks on Qatar's capital Doha and warned of possible escalation of tensions in the region.

In a regular news conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian expressed "firm opposition" to Israel's violation of Qatar's territorial sovereignty.

Lin also expressed Beijing's dissatisfaction with the "deliberate sabotage of ceasefire negotiations in Gaza."

"The use of force will not bring about peace in the Middle East," said Lin, saying dialogue and negotiation are the solution.

"China strongly urges all parties, especially Israel," to make more efforts to quell the fighting and restart negotiations, rather than to work against them," he said.

Lin also expressed "deep" concern about reports of Israel informing the US before striking Qatar.

Lin criticized "certain non-regional countries," for “severely unbalanced positions” on the Middle East, urging major powers to "prioritize regional peace and stability."

Separately, Sri Lanka on Wednesday expressed "deep concern" over the strikes and stressed "the need for restraint."

On Tuesday, Israel's military said it conducted a "precise strike targeting the senior leadership" of the Palestinian group.

Qatar condemned the "cowardly" attack, saying the strike targeted residential buildings that housed members of Hamas's political bureau.

The Gulf state, along with the US and Egypt, has been playing a central role in efforts to mediate an end to Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 64,600 Palestinians since October 2023.