Chinese, Turkish FMs urge ceasefire, dialogue between Israel, Palestine

BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday held a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Noting that the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict is escalating, Fidan said the Turkish side believes that civilian casualties and displacement should be stopped, and the warfare should be prevented from spreading to the whole region or even to a wider range.

It is imperative to cease fire immediately and seek a long-term and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue, the Turkish foreign minister said, stressing that any solution without the two-state solution is infeasible.

The Turkish side does not accept the punitive measures imposed by Israel on the civilians in Gaza, supports China's efforts to find a solution to the Palestinian issue in the Security Council, and is ready to work with China to seek lasting peace in the region, he added.

For his part, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the right to self-defense should be exercised in accordance with international humanitarian law, and should not be at the cost of innocent civilian casualties.

He urged the parties concerned to exercise restraint, cease fire immediately and seek dialogue, adding that the basic living conditions of the people in Gaza must be guaranteed, and humanitarian access must be opened as soon as possible.

Noting that the Palestinian issue has always been the core of the Middle East issue, Wang said that without a just and reasonable settlement of this issue, there will be no lasting peace in the Middle East. Facts have once again proved that the only way to solve the Palestinian issue is to ensure the effective implementation of UN Security Council resolutions and the true implementation of the two-state solution, he added.

China is communicating and coordinating with relevant parties to prevent the expansion of fighting and avert humanitarian disaster, and will continue to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip through the United Nations and bilateral channels, Wang said.

China will support all efforts conducive to the implementation of the two-state solution and stands ready to maintain communication with Türkiye in this regard, so as to inject more certainty into the volatile international situation, he noted.