ISTANBUL

China has warned Israel against “dangerous actions” of occupying Gaza, expressing its concerns for Tel Aviv’s decision to escalate its military offensive in Gaza.

Beijing’s remarks came after Israeli media exposed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided, with US backing, to push ahead with a full-scale reoccupation of the besieged Palestinian enclave, targeting areas believed to hold Israeli captives.

"We urge Israel to immediately halt such dangerous actions. We urge all parties to promptly reach a binding and sustainable ceasefire agreement,” China’s envoy to the UN Geng Shuang told the UN Security Council meeting in New York on Tuesday.

“We further urge countries with significant influence over the parties concerned to act in a just and responsible manner and take concrete steps to help bring about a ceasefire," he said, according to an official transcript of his speech.

The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 61,000 Palestinians, almost half of them women and children. Israel’s military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.

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

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.