Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a phone call with his Saudi counterpart on 15 October that Israel’s actions in Gaza have gone “beyond self-defense,” labeling the daily attacks on civilians as “collective punishment” and urging the government to abide by international law and allowing the entry of aid into Gaza.
“Israel’s actions have gone beyond self-defense, and it should heed the call of the international community and the Secretary-General of the United Nations to stop its collective punishment of the people in Gaza,” the Chinese diplomat said.
He added that China “opposes and condemns all acts that harm civilians” and that Beijing is communicating with several countries to secure a ceasefire, the opening of humanitarian aid corridors, and the fundamental rights of the Gaza Strip’s residents.
Yi also condemned the “historical injustices” against Palestinians and vowed to work with Saudi Arabia and other countries to revive a two-state solution.
Bin Farhan responded by expressing the kingdom’s concern over the situation, namely Israel targeting civilians and attempting to displace the Gaza residents forcibly.
He vowed his country’s willingness to work with China to urge “all parties to observe the international humanitarian law, protect civilians from harm, and implement relevant Security Council resolutions” in favor of the Palestinians.
China brokered a historic reconciliation deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia in March to end years of regional tension between them.
While recently finding itself back on the path of US-sponsored efforts for normalization with Israel – the situation in Gaza may has reportedly forced the kingdom to put normalization “ on ice.”
Beijing announced on 13 October the shipping of urgent humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip.
On Monday, Reuters cited two Egyptian officials saying that the US, Egypt, and Israel have agreed on a temporary truce from 9:00 a.m. onwards to secure foreigners’ evacuations and aid entry into Gaza.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s office denied this, saying, “At the moment, there is no ceasefire for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip and the exit of foreigners.”
The Rafah border crossing with Egypt, the only entry to Gaza, has remained shut.