China’s Strong Rebuke Against Israel’s Offensive in Rafah, Advocates for Peace

A regular briefing scene of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Due to the Lunar New Year holiday on the 10th, the biggest holiday, briefings will not be held until the 17th./Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

China condemned Israel for killing innocent civilians as Israel attacked Rafah, the southernmost part of the densely populated Gaza Strip, to root out the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

An anonymous spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced this in a Q&A format with reporters on the website on the 13th, saying, “China is paying close attention to the situation in Rafah.”

In addition, he said, “China opposes actions that harm civilians and violate international law,” and “we urge Israel to stop military action as soon as possible. We appeal to prevent innocent civilian casualties and more serious humanitarian disasters in the Rafah area.”

According to diplomatic sources in Beijing on the same day, the Israeli military had bombed and shelled Rafah, where more than half of the 2.3 million population of the Gaza Strip and refugees are concentrated, the day before (local time). As a result, it is estimated that at least 67 people have died. Some foreign media have reported that 74 people have been killed.

Currently, the international community, including the United Nations, the United States, and the European Union (EU), is criticizing the bombing of Rafah. They are also opposing the deployment of ground troops publicly announced by the Israeli government. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed his will to continue the attack, saying, “Only ongoing military pressure until the complete victory will release all our hostages.” More damage will inevitably be expected in the future. In response to this, China appears to have actively joined the international community’s criticism of Israel.

China has a close relationship with Russia, which can be considered a common enemy, to counter the United States. It also maintains a good relationship with Iran, another enemy of the United States. On the other hand, it has a lukewarm relationship with Israel, an enemy of Iran. Therefore, China’s condemnation of Israel this time seems natural when viewed in light of this reality.