Chinese president Xi Jinping has come out in support of an immediate Israel-Hamas ceasefire, breaking from Western leaders who have visited the Jewish state this week to voice their full-throated support for Israel’s efforts to neutralize the terror group.
“The top priority now is a ceasefire as soon as possible, to avoid the conflict from expanding or even spiraling out of control and causing a serious humanitarian crisis,” Xi said Thursday, according to Chinese state media.
To prevent the conflict from escalating further, Chinese officials have said they were willing to work with Egypt and its Arab allies to come to a resolution. Xi also said both sides compromising on establishing an independent state for Palestinians is the “fundamental way out.” The Hamas-occupied Gaza territory is currently under Israeli siege after the terrorist group massacred over 1,400 people in its October 7 invasion.
The Israeli military retaliated with airstrikes, dropping more than 6,000 bombs on Gaza last week. No ground offensive in the territory has yet begun, though Israel has called up a record number of reservists and active-duty troops have begun massing on the Gaza border.
On Thursday, U.K. prime minister Rishi Sunak visited Israel to show solidarity with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and president Isaac Herzog amid the intensifying conflict. “I’m proud to stand with you in Israel’s darkest hour as your friend, we will stand with you in solidarity, we will stand with your people, and we want you to win,” Sunak told Netanyahu after meeting.
Sunak, during his two-day diplomatic trip, hopes to bring “more support” to the region after Israel agreed to let humanitarian aid flow across the Gaza-Egypt border. President Joe Biden, who visited Israel Wednesday, announced the update while pledging $100 million in U.S. humanitarian aid to more than 1 million Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
“This funding will help support over a million displaced and conflict-affected people with clean water, food, hygiene support, medical care, and other essential needs. The United States provides humanitarian assistance through trusted partners including UN agencies and international NGOs,” a White House statement read. “Civilians are not to blame and should not suffer for Hamas’s horrific terrorism. Civilian lives must be protected and assistance must urgently reach those in need.”
Biden’s announcement came after Israel ordered civilians to evacuate northern Gaza cut-off of supplies to the region, two actions that the United Nations deemed inhumane.
“Those who managed to comply with the Israeli authorities’ order to evacuate are now trapped in the south of the Gaza Strip, with scant shelter, fast-depleting food supplies, little or no access to clean water, sanitation, medicine and other basic needs,” a U.N. spokesperson said Tuesday.