Arab and Muslim ministers visited Beijing on Monday to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and allow humanitarian aid into the devastated Palestinian enclave.
There will be meetings between the delegation and representatives of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. The delegation is increasing the pressure on Western nations to reject Israel’s self-defense justification for its actions against Palestinians.
Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, Palestinian authorities, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation will meet with Wang Yi on Monday.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, stated, “We are here to send a clear message: cease the fighting and cease the killings immediately, and deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza immediately.”
This month’s extraordinary joint Islamic-Arab summit in Riyadh called for the International Criminal Court to investigate “war crimes and crimes against humanity that Israel is committing” in Palestine.
Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry told his Chinese counterpart on X, formerly known as Twitter: “We expect great powers like China to do more to stop Gaza Strip attacks. Unfortunately, major nations cover Israeli attacks.”
Hamas’s deadly cross-border rampage into Israel on Oct. 7 took 240 hostages, prompting Israel to invade Gaza to eliminate the Islamist militant group.
The Hamas-led government of Gaza reports that Israeli bombardments have killed at least 13,000 Palestinians, including at least 5,500 children, since then.
During the visit, Irit Ben-Abba, the Israeli ambassador to Beijing, requested that no statements regarding a ceasefire be made. She stated that “now is not the time to make any statements regarding a ceasefire.”
Israel hoped the delegation would discuss Hamas hostages “and call for their immediate release without preconditions,” as well as Egypt’s “role in facilitating humanitarian assistance.”
Wang said China is a “good friend and brother of Arab and Muslim countries,” and it has always supported the Palestinian people’s right to reclaim their national rights.
