BEIJING, October 23. /TASS/. Beijing will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestine, Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Middle East Issue Zhai Jun said.
"China has been and will continue providing emergency humanitarian assistance to Palestine through the UN and bilateral channels in order to ease the humanitarian crisis that the Gaza population is facing," he said, as cited by China Central Television.
"The situation in Gaza is very serious. The risk of a large-scale ground conflict has never been higher," Zhai pointed out. According to him, clashes on Israel’s borders with Lebanon and Syria are also alarming. "The international community needs to show increased vigilance, take immediate action, urge all parties to strictly abide by international humanitarian law, do everything possible to prevent major humanitarian disasters and work together to keep the situation under control," the envoy noted.
"China will continue to maintain close contact with all parties in the international community, including Arab countries, in order to jointly facilitate efforts to ease tensions, establish a ceasefire, stop the conflict from expanding, prevent greater humanitarian disasters and resume the Middle East peace process," the Chinese diplomat said.
Tensions in the Middle East flared up again after Hamas militants infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7. The Palestinian movement described its attack as a response to the actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem's Temple Mount. Israel announced a total blockade of Gaza and started carrying out strikes on the Palestinian enclave, as well as on certain areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.