China calls on Israel to ‘stop all military operations’ in Gaza

China has called on Israel to cease its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, amid the besieged territory’s worsening humanitarian crisis and the ongoing genocide of its Palestinian population.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said Beijing “calls on Israel to stop all military operations as soon as possible, do everything possible to avoid casualties among innocent civilians and prevent the devastating humanitarian disaster in Rafah from worsening.”

In recent days, Israel announced plans to launch a ground offensive on Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, in which over a million displaced Palestinians have been seeking refuge from the Israeli bombardment and war throughout the past four months. Despite the fact that Israeli forces initially ordered Gazans to flee from their areas in the north to the south and then finally to Rafah, the occupation now claims it must also target the border area to defeat alleged “Hamas battalions”.

Israel launched air and drone strikes on Rafah late on Sunday night, killing around a hundred civilians – including women and children – who had sheltered in the area.

In its statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry reiterated that Beijing “opposes and condemns” actions that harm civilians and violates international law.

READ: China’s UN Ambassador Calls for Immediate Ceasefire and Strong Action in Gaza