China Calls On Israel To Cease Military Operations In Rafah As Soon As Possible

On Tuesday, China urged Israel to end its military operations in the Gazan city of Rafah as soon as possible, warning of a serious humanitarian disaster if combat continued.

In a statement, a foreign ministry spokesperson stated, “China follows closely the developments in the Rafah area, opposes and condemns actions that harm civilians and violate international law”.

“China called for Israel to stop its military operation as soon as possible, (and) make every effort to avoid innocent civilian casualties, to prevent a more serious humanitarian disaster in the Rafah area”, the statement reads.

Israel is under increasing international pressure to agree to a ceasefire with Hamas as it prepares to invade Rafah, the southern Gaza border city where more than a million displaced Palestinians are stranded.

After rejecting Hamas’s request for a truce last week, Israel launched a predawn raid in Rafah on Monday, freeing two hostages and killing about 100 Palestinians.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the perfect overnight operation, while the Palestinian foreign ministry described the killings of dozens of Gazans as a massacre.

The rare rescue effect under heavy air attacks occurred hours after Netanyahu spoke with US President Joe Biden, who maintained Israeli opposition to a big assault on Rafah.

The United Nations has also urged Israel against launching a ground offensive into Rafah without a strategy to protect civilians, who claim they have nowhere else to go.

Also read: France Successfully Evacuated 42 From Gaza, While Israel Strikes Kill 3 Israeli Hostages