- Over 500 Palestinians and Israelis have been killed in the escalation of tensions and violence between the two states since Saturday morning.

- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Saturday that Israel was "in a state of war," while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas emphasized the right of the Palestinians to defend themselves.

- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "condemns in the strongest terms" the attack by Hamas against Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip and central Israel.

- China calls on the relevant parties to remain calm, exercise restraint and immediately end the hostilities to protect civilians and avoid further deterioration of the situation, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Sunday.