On 9th October (Monday), the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that it wouldn’t condemn Palestine despite certain voices ‘pressurising’ it to do so following the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel killing more than 700 Israeli citizens. Responding to queries over the Israel-Hamas war, the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry declined to explicitly call out Hamas terrorists or Islamist outfits in Gaza for launching a surprise attack on Israeli citizens in the early hours of 7th October.
Chinese FM spokesperson Mao Ning downplayed the terrorist attacks and ground invasion by Hamas inside Israeli territories and claimed that China condemns any “behaviour” that is “harmful” to civilians. Stating that it is “highly concerned” about the Israel-Hamas war, Mao Ning added that China opposes the escalation of the situation.
Chinese FM Spokesperson Mao added that the way out of conflict is to resume peace talks, implement the two-state solution, and push for a political solution to the Palestine question. He also said that China is willing to work with the international community to find adequate solutions.
Further, Mao warned Chinese nationals adding that they should refrain from traveling to Palestine and Israel for the time being.
Regarding the reports that the US is sending weapons and warships to Israel, the Chinese FM said that China believes dialogues and negotiations are the fundamental way out of conflicts. It urged all parties to reach a ceasefire to avoid an escalation of the situation.
On the issue of whether China would condemn Palestine or not after the terror attacks, the Chinese FM spokesperson said China always stands with “justice and fairness”. He added that China is a friend of both Palestine and Israel and sincerely wishes the two sides can co-exist peacefully.
Notably, US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is on a visit to China, putting pressure on China to condemn the Hamas attacks on Israel.
Chinese Foreign Ministry added, “China condemns all violence and attacks on civilians, we believe the most urgent task now is to reach a ceasefire and restore peace; we also hope the international community will jointly help calm down the tension.”
It is important to note that despite the gory details of attacks, several countries have declined to unequivocally condemn terrorist acts giving it a larger geopolitical spin as it is believed that condemning Hamas could earn the ire of Islamic world.
Meanwhile, the Israel-Hamas war has entered into its third day. Reports from Israeli local media suggest that around 700 people were killed across the country in the Hamas terror attack. The number continued to rise as more bodies were being recovered. Israel has officially declared war in the wake of the terror attacks.
Startling details of the attack have come to the fore revealing that more than 260 civilians were killed in cold blood in one incident alone.
Apparently, one of the first locations that the Hamas terrorists attacked was the Supernova music festival that was taking place close to the Gaza Strip. The survivors narrated the terrifying ordeal that included the rape of women, abduction, and merciless murders at the hands of Hamas terrorists. Reports say that over 260 dead bodies have already been recovered at the festival site.