Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, Oct. 8, 2023. Israel's cabinet declared a "state of war" on Sunday after a massive surprise attack launched by Hamas has so far killed at least 700 in Israel while retaliatory Israeli airstrikes killed at least 413 in Gaza(Photo: Xinhua)

China is deeply concerned about the intensification of tensions and the rise in violence between Palestine and Israel, and it's profoundly saddened by the civilian casualties caused by the conflict, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday, calling for immediate ceasefire and de-escalation of the situation. 

Fighting between Hamas and Israel rages into a third day on Monday with militants launching a fresh barrage of rocket attacks and Israeli forces still battling to expel Hamas gunmen from its soil as jets continued to bombard the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, CNN reported. 

More than 1,100 people have been killed in Israel and the Gaza Strip, with thousands more wounded, CNBC said. 

China has already expressed its stance on the escalating situation between Palestine and Israel. We are deeply concerned about the intensification of tensions and the rise in violence, Mao Ning, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told a press conference on Monday. 

The way to resolve the cycle of Israeli-Palestinian conflicts lies in resuming peace talks, implementing the two-state solution and promoting a proper political settlement of the Palestinian issue at an early date as soon as possible, so as to ensure the legitimate concerns of all parties, Mao said. "China will continue to work with the international community to make unremitting efforts to this end."

In response to a question about whether the Chinese government considered the attacks launched by Hamas against most civilians as acts of terrorism, the spokesperson said China has made clear its position on the current escalation of the situation between Palestine and Israel, and are deeply concerned about rising tensions and violence and saddened that the conflict caused civilian casualties. 

We oppose and condemn the harm to civilians, and we think the top priority is ceasefire as soon as possible, to restore peace and work together to cool the situation, the spokesperson said. 

Three Chinese were injured in attacks, with one shot in the abdomen and one in the leg, and another found in a hospital with a serious injury, amid the sudden escalation of tensions between Israel and Palestine, the Global Times learned from the Israel China Chamber of Commerce on Sunday.

The foreign ministry has immediately activated the emergency response mechanism for consular protection to coordinate the security protection of Chinese nationals and institutions in Palestine and Israel, the spokesperson said on Monday.

The Chinese Embassy in Israel and China's Office in Palestine have also issued an emergency security alert to maintain contact with local Chinese nationals and to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals and institutions. 

"We also remind Chinese nationals not to go to Palestine and Israel for the time being. Local Chinese nationals should monitor the local security situation, strengthen security precautions and avoid going outside. In case of emergency, please contact the embassy and office for help," Mao said.  

Some posts circulating on social media from Sunday to Monday said a woman of Chinese and Israeli descent was hijacked in the Gaza Strip. When asked about whether the person is a Chinese national, the spokesperson said she has noted relevant reports but did not know the details.  

On whether the Chinese side could verify the nationality of the young woman who was said to be taken away by the motorcycle and whether she is a Chinese passport holder, the spokesperson said her colleagues are verifying the situation and she has no information to provide.

When asked about China's stance on the rising conflicts as some Western countries have been calling the attacks as acts of terrorism while Israel hoping that China could condemn the acts of the Palestine side, the spokesperson said on the issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, China has always stood on the side of fairness and justice. 

"China is a common friend of Israel and the Palestinians. We sincerely hope that Palestine and Israel can coexist peacefully and share security and development," Mao said, noting that the fundamental way to realize this vision lies in the implementation of the two-state solution and establish an independent Palestinian state.

US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday called on China to support Israel after deadly attacks by Hamas, adding he was "disappointed" that Beijing showed "no sympathy" for the country over the weekend, Reuters reported. 

China is deeply saddened by the civilian casualties caused by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We also oppose and condemn the violence and attacks against civilians, Mao said, noting that China's position is consistent. 

"We believe that the top priority is to realize a ceasefire, stop the war and restore peace as soon as possible. We also expect the relevant parties in the international community to play a role and work together to cool down the situation," she said.

On the questions about the US delivering of ammunition and military equipment to Israel, Mao said that China's position on this issue is consistent, and we always believe that dialogue and negotiation are the fundamental way out to resolve the issue. 

We call on all parties to cease fire and stop the war as soon as possible to avoid further escalation and deterioration of the situation, she said. 

Over the past year, China has actively supported the possible resumption of peace talks in the Middle East. On whether such efforts would be affected by the escalation of violence amid the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Chinese spokesperson said the most important lesson of reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran is that no matter how complex the issues and how sharp the challenges are, as long as we have equal dialogue in the spirit of mutual respect, we will surely find a solution acceptable to each other.