China has described the war in Gaza as a “shame to civilization” and called for an immediate ceasefire on Thursday as the conflict drags into its sixth month despite efforts by mediators to broker a truce. US President Joe Biden has called on Hamas to accept a cease-fire plan with Israel before the start of the Muslim month of Ramadan, which is as early as Sunday, depending on the sighting of the crescent moon.
However, mediators in Egypt are struggling to overcome difficult obstacles in their attempts to negotiate a truce, while the United Nations has warned that Palestinians trapped in the fighting are at risk of starvation.
“It is a tragedy for humanity and a shame for civilization that today, in the 21st century, this humanitarian disaster cannot be stopped,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a press conference in Beijing.
China, historically favorable to the creation of a Palestinian state, has been calling for a ceasefire since the start of the war when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7.
“The international community must act urgently, making an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities a top priority, and ensuring humanitarian aid an urgent moral responsibility,” said Wang.
The war has turned large parts of Gaza into a wasteland of destroyed buildings and rubble and caused a humanitarian disaster for its 2.4 million people.
