Smoke billowing over Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip during Israeli bombardment on Monday.— AFP CAIRO, Jan 15 (Reuters/AP): China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for a larger, more authoritative Israeli-Palestinian peace conference and a timetable to implement a two-state solution as the Gaza conflict escalated and the Red Sea became a new flash point.
Speaking to reporters after talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo over the weekend, Wang said the international community should "listen" carefully to the legitimate concerns in the Middle East. His remarks were reported by state news agency Xinhua on Monday.
"China calls for the convening of a larger-scale, more authoritative and more effective international peace conference, the formulation of a specific timetable and road map for the implementation of the 'two-state solution', and support for the prompt resumption of Israel-Palestinian peace talks," Wang said.
Last week, the United States and Britain launched strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen after the group attacked ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis said their attacks are a show of support for Palestinians and Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza.
The Red Sea attacks have forced commercial ships to take a longer, costlier route around Africa, stoking concern about inflation and supply chain disruptions. They are also bringing the Gaza crisis much closer to China's investments in the Suez Canal east of Cairo.
China avoids being a direct party in any military conflicts, but says it is keen to raise its "international influence, appeal and power" to shape events through diplomacy.
It's the right time for Israel
to scale back Gaza war: US
The White House said Sunday that "it's the right time" for Israel to scale back its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli leaders again vowed to press ahead with their operation against the territory's ruling Hamas militant group.
The comments exposed the growing differences between the close allies on the 100th day of the war.
Also Sunday, Israeli warplanes struck targets in Lebanon following a Hezbollah missile attack that killed two Israeli civilians - an older woman and her adult son - in northern Israel. The exchange of fire underscored concerns that the Gaza violence could trigger wider fighting across the region.
The war in Gaza, launched by Israel in response to the unprecedented Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, has killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians, devastated vast swaths of Gaza, driven around 85% of the territory's 2.3 million residents from their homes and pushed a quarter of the population into starvation.
Speaking on CBS, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. has been speaking to Israel "about a transition to low-intensity operations" in Gaza.
"We believe it's the right time for that transition. And we're talking to them about doing that," he said on "Face the Nation."
Israel launched the offensive after the Hamas attack killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead until Hamas is destroyed and all of the more than 100 hostages still in captivity are freed.
Missile from Lebanon kills
two Israeli civilians
An anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon hit a home in northern Israel on Sunday, killing two civilians and renewing concerns about the risk of a second front erupting in the Israel-Hamas war.
The deadly strike near the border came on the 100th day of the conflict between Israel and Hamas that has killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians, devastated vast swaths of Gaza, driven around 85% of the territory's 2.3 million residents from their homes and pushed a quarter of the population into starvation.
The war was triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7 surprise attack into southern Israel in which militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took around 250 hostages, about half of whom are still in captivity.
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