China urges Israel to abide by international law and protect civilians in Gaza
China also called for the convening of 'a more authoritative, wide-ranging and effective' international peace summit as soon as possible.
In a phone call with his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen on Monday, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi reportedly said: "Every country has the rights to self-defense. But every country must abide by the international humanitarian law to protect civilian safety."
Wang held calls with Cohen, and Riyad Al-Maliki's counterpart in the Palestinian National Authority before talks with U.S. Sec. of State Antony Blinken.
China called on Israel to respect international humanitarian law, protect Palestinian civilians and end its conflict with the Hamas militants group. It also urged the two sides to engage in peace talks.
In a phone call with his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that "every country has the right of self-defense but should adhere to international humanitarian law and ensure the safety of civilians."
China has stated that it will support any resolution as long as it is conducive for peace. If the resolution is conducive for Palestinian-Israeli reconciliation then China will do everything possible.
A readout of Wang’s call with Cohen
.
Israel's campaign against Hamas is now in its third week. This follows a surprise attack by the Palestinian militants on southern Israel, which took place on October 7. Israel responded by bombarding Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas.
At least 1,400 Israelis have been killed in the conflict, while retaliatory strikes in Gaza Strip have killed over 5,000 people. CNBC was unable to independently verify these figures.
Wang avoided any overt or explicit reference to Hamas, saying that the current Palestinian-Israeli Conflict affects everyone in the world. It involves major choices of war or peace.
China called for the convening as soon as possible of "a more authoritative and wide-ranging" international peace summit. According to the proposal, it aims to "resume peace talks in order to formulate a road map and timetable for peace between Palestine Israel."
a readout
Wang met with Riyad al-Maliki, his counterpart at the Palestinian National Authority on a separate phone call that was held Monday.
Hamas is
One of the two main political parties in the Palestinian Territories
The other is Fatah which was formerly known as the Palestinian National Liberation Movement. Fatah still controls the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Wang made the calls Monday as he prepared to travel to Washington, D.C. later this week to meet with U.S. Sec. of State Antony Blinken. He will also be meeting Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor.
Wang told Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud, in a separate phone call on October 15, that Israel's "
Beyond self-defense
" And it should heed to the call of international community to end its "collective punishing" of people in Gaza.