ISTANBUL

China on Wednesday urged Israel to heed the “strong concerns” of the international community and stop its military operations in the Gaza Strip.

“China firmly opposes Israel escalating its military operations in Gaza, condemns all moves that harm civilians, and violate international law,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news conference in Beijing.

The ministry spokesman told reporters that Beijing is “deeply concerned” over the further escalation of the tensions, and opposes relevant parties “fanning the flames.”

“We urge Israel to listen to the strong concerns of the international community, stop its military operations in Gaza at once, realize a full and lasting ceasefire as soon as possible, and avoid an even larger humanitarian crisis,” Lin said.

He expressed his hopes for all relevant parties to “act in the interests of regional peace and stability, uphold the position and responsible attitude to play a constructive role in de-escalating the situation.”

The Israeli army has killed almost 65,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.