Chinese Diplomat Calls Crisis In Gaza Because The Rights Of Palestinians Have Not Been Guaranteeed

Chinese Special Envoy for the Middle East Zhai Jun. (Twitter/@shen_shiwei)

JAKARTA - The Chinese diplomat said that the current crisis in the Middle East, specifically in Gaza, is because the rights of Palestinians are not guaranteed, when he began a visit to the region to help find ways to defuse the conflict.

Arriving in Qatar on Thursday, China's Special Envoy for the Middle East Zhai Jun spoke with his colleague Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, reaffirming Beijing and Moscow's alignment to help de-escalate the Gaza crisis.

China and Russia have the same position on the Palestinian issue, Zhai said after meeting Bogdanov in Doha, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with his "friend" President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

"The fundamental reason for the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict situation is that the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people have not been guaranteed," said Zhai, reported by Reuters, October 20.

In Qatar, Zhai said China is ready to maintain communication and coordination with Russia to defuse the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

So far, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not announced details of Zhai's travel plans in the Middle East region.

Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry was quoted by TASS as saying, the two supported "supporting the immediate cessation of hostilities, preventing the conflict from escalating, resolving urgent humanitarian issues, including emergency assistance to the affected population and the release of hostages."

Yesterday, Chinese President Xi Jinping in his first public comments on the crisis in Gaza said a two-state solution to create an independent Palestine was a "fundamental way out" of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

"The top priority now is a ceasefire as soon as possible, to avoid the conflict spreading or even getting out of control and causing a serious humanitarian crisis," said President Xi, citing CNN from CCTV.

As of October 19, the death toll on the Israeli side was around 1,400 people, and 4,500 others injured according to the IDF. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said 3,785 people were killed and 12,000 injured. That includes more than 1,500 children, 1,000 women, and 120 elderly people