China Urges The United Nations To Play A More Active Role In The Gaza Strip

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin delivered a statement to the media in Beijing, China on Wednesday (11/10). (ANTARA/Desca Lidya Natalia)

The war between Hamas and Israel continues. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin asked the United Nations (UN) to play a more active role in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict after Israel's threat to the Gaza Strip.

"China supports the United Nations in playing an important role in avoiding further escalation and upholding international humanitarian law. We call on the international community to work together to avoid a serious expansion of humanitarian conflicts and disasters," Wang Wenbin said when delivering information to media in Beijing, China on Friday (13/10).

Earlier UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric in a statement in New York said UN officials in Gaza were notified by their liaison officers in the Israeli military that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) called for the evacuation of the entire Gaza population north of the Gaza Wadi to be relocated to southern Gaza within the next 24 hours.

According to Dujarric, the United Nations considers such evacuation impossible without bad humanitarian consequences because the total population of Gaza in the region is 1.1 million people or nearly half of Gaza's 2.3 million population.

"We note the statement of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. We are deeply saddened by the large number of civilian casualties caused by the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and are deeply concerned about the possible spread of the conflict. China is against actions that harm civilians and violate international law," Wang Wenbin added.

China said it would continue to maintain close communication and coordination with related parties and make active efforts to encourage a decline in escalation, defuse the humanitarian crisis and invite related parties to the peace negotiating table as soon as possible.

In addition, Wang Wenbin also said that China is ready to become a "peacemaker" to encourage related parties to negotiate.

Over the past few days, the Chinese Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs Zhai Jun has had telephone conversations with foreign ministry officials of Middle Eastern countries, including Palestine, Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, to discuss the tensions that are taking place between Palestine and Israel at this time.

"Zhai Jun's Special Entrance stressed during a phone call that to end the cycle of conflict between Palestine and Israel, the key is to return to a two-state solution on the basis, restore peace negotiations, establish an independent Palestinian state, coexist peacefully between Palestine and Israel," Wang Wenbin explained.

The international community is considered necessary to take responsibility and create conditions for the resumption of the peace process.

"The main priority is to ensure the safety of civilians, open aid corridors and avoid severe humanitarian crises in Gaza," said Wang Wenbin, quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, October 14.

So far the Israeli military has not issued official comments on the evacuation warning. Previously Israeli tanks had been deployed near the Gaza Strip border.

The head of Hamas' state media office, Salama Marouf, said the warning of relocation and evacuation was Israel's attempt to broadcast and spread false propaganda.

Israel has also cut off electricity, water, and fuel networks to Gaza, which pose a "big danger" and has the potential to cause "severe health and environmental disasters".