China urges Israel to end ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ in Gaza

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed in a phone call with Israeli Foreign Minister Katz on Monday the need to end the “humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.”

“We must not let the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza continue,” he was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency.

“Responding to violence with violence cannot fully address the legitimate concerns of all parties,” he said.

Wang Yi also called for the protection of UNIFIL staff, agencies and Chinese citizens.

According to Agence France-Presse, the entire Gaza Strip has been devastated by the war, with polio resurfacing for the first time in more than 20 years, creating a health and humanitarian disaster.

The sewage system has been almost completely destroyed, with contaminated water pooling in the open air, often adjacent to densely populated residential areas.

Also on Monday, France expressed “deep concern over the extremely serious situation in northern Gaza” and condemned the Israeli military operation that has been ongoing for several days in the Palestinian territories.