BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday that China was “deeply pained” by the “extremely severe” situation in Gaza, according to state media.
China is hosting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and several other Arab leaders in Beijing this week, with talks aimed at deepening consensus between Beijing and the Arab countries.
President Xi stressed the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire to prevent further Palestinian civilian casualties and to mitigate the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.
“The current round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has caused a large number of innocent Palestinian civilian casualties and the humanitarian situation in Gaza is extremely severe. China is deeply pained,” Xi told Sisi in Beijing, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
He underscored the importance of averting any spillover of the conflict that could destabilize the region and exacerbate the suffering of innocent civilians.
“The top priority task now is an immediate ceasefire, in order to avoid spillover of conflict, impact on regional peace and stability, and so as to prevent a more serious humanitarian crisis,” Xi said, according to CCTV.
Israeli bombardment rocked Gaza’s far-southern city of Rafah on Wednesday, Palestinian residents and officials said, a day after Israeli tanks entered the centre of the city near the Egyptian border.
The Israeli military’s offensive in Gaza since October 7 last year has drawn condemnation from global leaders. Despite a global outcry that intensified after a deadly Israeli strike set a crowded camp ablaze on Sunday night, Israel has intensified its bombardment campaign.
The strike on a crowded displacement camp for Palestinian civilians in Gaza on Sunday killed 45 people and injured around 250 others.
Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, have been engaged for months in talks aimed at securing a lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, accompanied by the release of hostages kidnapped by the Palestinian resistance group.
President Xi expressed appreciation for Egypt’s efforts in de-escalating the situation and providing humanitarian aid to those affected. “China appreciates the important role played by Egypt in cooling down the situation and delivering humanitarian relief,” Xi said on Wednesday.
China has long supported the Palestinian cause and advocated for a two-state solution to the conflict. President Xi reaffirmed China’s commitment to assisting the people of Gaza and called for a comprehensive, just, and lasting resolution to the Palestinian issue in collaboration with Egypt.
Since October 7 last year, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza killing over 36,171 Palestinian people, mostly women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry.
