China calls to protect civilians in Gaza, expresses sympathy for Palestinians

China’s foreign minister speaks to his Israeli and Palestinian counterparts and calls to protect civilians in Gaza, Beijing says.

Wang Yi speaks with Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, the first call between them since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, saying that all countries have a right to self-defense, but they must protect civilians and abide by international law.

In his talks with Cohen, Wang said China was deeply concerned about the “ongoing escalation of the conflict,” according to a readout from Beijing.

“All countries have the right to self-defense, but they should abide by international humanitarian law and protect the safety of civilians,” Wang says. “The most pressing task now is to prevent the situation from escalating further and from leading to a more serious humanitarian disaster.”

Wang also speaks with his Palestinian Authority counterpart, Riyad al-Maliki, telling him Beijing “deeply expresses its sympathy with the Palestinian side.”

“What the people of Gaza need most at present is security and food and medicine, not war and weapons and ammunition,” Wang tells Maliki.