China calls for ‘calm and restraint’ as Israel declares war after deadly Hamas raid

China has urged for an immediate halt to the escalating conflict between Palestinian fighters and the Israeli military. The Chinese foreign ministry expressed deep concern about the rising tension and violence between Palestine and Israel on Sunday. They called for all parties involved to exercise calm and restraint, to cease fire immediately, and to protect the civilian population to prevent further deterioration of the situation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared his country was 'at war' following a surprise attack by Hamas militants. The aftermath of the conflict resulted in a significant number of casualties. The Chinese foreign ministry did not issue any condemnation but stated that the latest round of conflict demonstrates that the long-term stagnation of the peace process is unsustainable. They believe the fundamental solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict lies in the implementation of the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. However, a senior official with the Israeli embassy in Beijing argued that China's response was not strong enough. He believes that China, as a global superpower, should have taken a stronger stand. China has historically maintained a neutral stance in Middle East conflicts, presenting itself as a friend to Israel, Palestine, Iran, and other Arab states. However, China's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Geng Shuang, stated that the Palestine issue should be accorded higher priority in the international agenda. He also reaffirmed China's position to support the establishment of an independent Palestine state based on 1967 borders. Diplomatic observers in China believe a peace deal between Palestine and Israel is at the centre of China's Middle East strategy. Fan Hongda, from the Middle East Studies Institute at Shanghai International Studies University, said the latest attacks by Hamas could be related to fears that 'Palestine is being marginalised'. He believes that peace between Israel and Palestine could hardly be achieved by an outsider. He also predicts that Israel is expected to further harden its position towards the Palestinians, especially in the Gaza Strip, which has been under Hamas control since 2007. This, he believes, will leave even less room for peace between Israel and Palestine, at least in the short term.