Beijing, The Indonesia Post – Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning emphasized that implementing the “two states” principle is a solution to resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestine which is currently heating up again.
“To end the recurring conflict between Palestine and Israel, it is important to restart peace negotiations, implement a ‘two-state’ solution and resolve the Palestinian issue thoroughly and appropriately,” said Mao Ning when addressing the media in Beijing, Monday (9/ 10).
The conflict between Israel and Palestine escalated after the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel with at least 5,000 rockets in just 20 minutes on Saturday (7/10) morning local time. The death toll from Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel has reached around 600 people.
In response, Israel declared war on Hamas and retaliated by launching air strikes on the Gaza Strip.
“Resolving the conflict is carried out through political means as quickly as possible so that it can accommodate the interests of each party. China will continue to cooperate relentlessly with the international community to achieve this goal,” added Mao Ning.
According to Mao Ning, China is closely following the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of civilian lives and condemn actions that endanger civilians. We oppose actions that could escalate conflict and disrupt regional stability and hope that fighting will stop and peace can return soon. The international community needs to play an effective role to jointly defuse situation,” said Mao Ning.
In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Mao Ning said that China always sides with equality and justice.
“As friends of Israel and Palestine, we hope that the two countries can coexist peacefully and enjoy security and grow together. The key to achieving this lies in realizing a ‘two-state’ solution and establishing an independent Palestinian state,” stressed Mao Ning.
China is said to be very concerned about the increasing tension and violence plus the loss of civilian casualties as a result of the conflict.
“Dialogue and negotiations are the fundamental way out. We call on all parties to immediately stop fighting to avoid further escalation which could actually worsen the situation.
The Israeli military said it had struck 426 targets belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Sunday morning, including a compound belonging to the head of the group’s intelligence department.
Around 10 residential buildings in Gaza including civilian facilities such as hospitals were completely destroyed by the Israeli army, killing civilians.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said nearly 400 people, including children, had been killed in Israeli attacks, while more than 2,000 others had been injured, since the offensive began on Saturday.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said there are currently almost 74,000 refugees in 64 UNRWA shelters, and that number is likely to increase as heavy shelling and airstrikes continue, including in civilian areas. (mhn/bbs)
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