China on Monday said it “opposes and condemns” violence against civilians in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
“China is highly concerned about the recent escalation of conflict between Palestine and Israel,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.
Beijing “is deeply saddened by the civilian casualties caused by the conflict, and opposes and condemns actions that harm civilians”, she added.
“China opposes actions that expand the conflict and undermine regional stability and hopes for a ceasefire and end to the war and to restore peace as soon as possible,” Mao continued.
She also called for the international community to “effectively play its role and jointly promote lowering the temperature of the situation”.
“The path to solving the cycle of Palestinian-Israeli conflicts lies in resuming peace talks,” Mao said.
She said the solution included “implementing a two-state solution, and promoting the early comprehensive and proper settlement of the Palestinian issue through political means so that reasonable concerns of all parties can be guaranteed”.
“China will continue to make untiring efforts in this regard alongside the international community,” she said.