Pleas for peace in Gaza grow louder

Washington's desire

Maklad said this showed Washington's desire for the conflict to continue and make the Gaza Strip uninhabitable and "committing more massacres and ethnic cleansing".

" (Israeli) practices in the Gaza Strip not only affect the Palestinians. They affect global peace. So providing Israel with the military supplies would also affect global peace," said Asqool, the law expert.

A growing number of Western or US-allied countries, which had earlier supported Israel's right to self-defense, are now joining the calls for a humanitarian cease-fire, building up pressure on the US and its support for Israel.

China's permanent representative to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, said in a UNSC meeting that only a cease-fire could prevent greater civilian casualties, including those of the hostages, and prevent a regional conflict from spiraling out of control.

He also urged for a constructive approach to the Gaza crisis as the UNSC hammered out a resolution. As for the West Bank, he said the council "must play its part and uphold fairness and justice as violence and restrictions continue there".

China in October announced that it was providing $2.05 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

On Dec 3, Diab al-Louh, the ambassador of Palestine to Egypt, extended his country's sincere gratitude to the Chinese government and people for providing timely humanitarian aid supplies to the Gaza Strip.

Chinese President Xi Jinping stated China's principled position on the current Palestinian-Israeli situation on a number of occasions. He stressed the need for an immediate cease-fire and end to the fighting, ensuring that humanitarian corridors are safe and unimpeded, and preventing the expansion of the conflict. He pointed out that the fundamental way out of the conflict is the two-state solution, building international consensus for peace, and working toward a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question at an early date, according to the position paper on resolving the Palestinian-Israeli issue released by China's Foreign Ministry on Nov 30.

Husain, from Bahrain, called China's consistent position on the Palestinian-Israeli issue "very principled" as it "seeks a permanent and lasting solution" to the Israel-Palestine crisis.

Maklad from Syria said China "now is a great power" and that all "would want to see a big role for China in the international system".

China achieved a major success when it played a broker role between Saudi Arabia and Iran. It is focusing on the implementation of the two-state solution, Maklad said.

"China is more acceptable (to) the Arab people in playing a broker's role or mediator in the settlement of the Palestinian cause," he said.

Agencies contributed to this story.