China Supports Ceasefire In Gaza During Ramadan

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning when delivering a statement to the media in Beijing, China on Thursday (29/02/2024) (ANTARA/Desca Lidya Natalia)

JAKARTA - China supports the halt of Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip during Ramadan which will begin on March 10, 2024.

"China supports all diplomatic efforts aimed at easing tensions and overcoming the humanitarian crisis. We call on all interested parties to immediately stop fighting," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said when delivering a statement to the media in Beijing, China.

On Monday (26/2) US President Joe Biden said Israel was open to the possibility of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip during the month of Ramadan to release the remaining hostages there.

In a television interview, President Biden also said that if a hostage exchange deal was reached, Israel would suspend its attacks on the Gaza Strip during the fasting month.

"As the conflict drags on, the humanitarian situation continues to worsen in Gaza. The international community must act now and focus on all efforts to realize a ceasefire and protect civilians," added Mao Ning.

China, Mao Ning said, requested that the relevant parties do everything possible to prevent casualties among civilians and prevent even worse humanitarian disasters.

Russia will host a meeting between Hamas, Fatah and other Palestinian groups in Moscow on February 29 - March 2, 2024 amid differences of views between those groups in creating peace.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said the meeting would be attended by 12 to 14 organizations, including the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).

Israel's attacks on Gaza have been ongoing since October 7, 2023, and killed at least 29,954 Palestinians who have been killed, mostly children and women and more than 70,300 others injured, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have died in Hamas attacks.

The Palestinian Authority demands that Israel bear the financial costs of rebuilding Gaza and demonstrate their commitment to a two-state solution.

On November 24, 2023, Qatar mediated negotiations between Israel and Hamas over the interim ceasefire and the exchange of several detainees and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.

The ceasefire has been extended several times and ended on December 1. More than 100 hostages are believed to be still being held by Hamas in Gaza.

The humanitarian crisis continues in Gaza as the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) admits that it has not been able to safely deliver humanitarian aid to the northern Gaza Strip amid Israeli attacks so that residents in Gaza are threatened with starvation because they do not have access to food supplies.

UNRWA said the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza had decreased by 50 percent in February as it was difficult to bring supplies through Karem Abu Salem (Kemrem Shalim) and Rafah.

The Israeli war has forced 85 percent of Gaza's population to flee amid food shortages, clean water and medicines, while 60 percent of infrastructure is damaged or destroyed.

Israel is accused of committing genocide at the International Court, which in a provisional ruling in January ordered Israel to stop genocide and take action to ensure that humanitarian aid could be given to civilians in Gaza.