ANKARA

China on Tuesday urged Israel to "immediately" halt its military operation in Gaza, realize a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire as soon as possible, and prevent a humanitarian crisis on a larger scale.

"It has been over 700 days since the conflict in Gaza broke out, which has killed 64,000 people there and caused an unprecedented humanitarian crisis," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in a statement.

China, he added, opposes and condemns any action that harms civilians, damages civilian facilities, and violates international law.

Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza entered its 700th day on Friday, with Israeli forces having killed more than 64,500 Palestinians. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.​​​​​​​