Cease-fire sought as casualties in conflict mount

China's call for cease-fire and dialogue for final resolution of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is in line with UN resolutions, and aims to break the cycle of destruction and disaster in the Middle East, experts say.

Casualties keep climbing amid intense Israeli strikes against Gaza Strip targets and firing of rockets by Hamas and other militant groups, despite Hamas saying it is open to a "political dialogue "for a truce.

China's position has always been on the side of equity and justice in the conflict, and has been consistent on the coexistence of Israel and Palestine state in accordance with the provisions of the Oslo Accords and UN resolutions, said Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, executive director of the Center for South Asia and International Studies in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Oslo Accords are a set of pacts between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, or PLO.

The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1397 (2002) affirms "a vision of a region where two states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognized borders".

On Wednesday, Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Middle East Issue Zhai Jun had a phone call with First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Palestine Amal Jadou on the Palestine-Israel situation.

Zhai said the immediate priority is to achieve an immediate cease-fire and protect civilians, adding the international community should play an effective role in jointly stabilizing the situation and providing humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a news briefing on Tuesday: "China will maintain communication with all parties and continue to work for peace and stability in the Middle East."

On Monday, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said: "To end the cycle of conflict between Palestine and Israel, it is essential to restart the peace talks, implement the two-state solution, and settle the Palestine question fully and properly through political means at an early date so as to take care of each party's legitimate concerns."

The fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine, China's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

"The world must play an immediate role in de-escalating the conflict through mediation and dialogue and reaffirming support for a two-state solution," said Khalid Taimur Akram, executive director of the Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future in Islamabad.

He noted China has called for all parties to exercise restraint, protect civilians, and immediately cease fire, and it condemned attacks against civilians and emphasized the importance of preventing further casualties, advocating a return to the peace process.

According to Akram, rather than de-escalating the conflict, the United States inadvertently fueled the situation in the region.

China has called upon the UN Security Council to take the necessary steps to promote dialogue, achieve a cease-fire, and restore peace in the region, he added.