Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday held phone talks with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

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

Wang said that the exercise of the right to self-defense should comply with international humanitarian law and should not be at the expense of innocent civilian casualties, and the relevant parties should exercise restraint, cease fighting immediately and seek dialogue.

The most basic conditions for the survival of the people of Gaza must be guaranteed, and a humanitarian relief corridor must be opened as soon as possible, he said.

The Palestinian issue has always been at the core of the Middle East issues, and lasting peace in the Middle East can't be achieved without a just and reasonable solution to that issue, he said, noting that facts have proved once again that the only way out of the Palestinian issue is to ensure the effective implementation of UN Security Council resolutions and the realization of the "two-state solution."

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

Fidan said the pressing need is an immediate ceasefire to end the fighting while seeking a long-term and durable solution to the Palestinian issue. He also stressed the "two-state solution" is the only viable solution.

The Turkish side does not accept Israel's punitive measures against the civilian population of Gaza, and supported China's efforts in the UN Security Council to find a solution to the Palestinian issue, and is ready to work with China to seek a lasting peace in the region, he added.

(Cover: Palestinian rescuers and civilians remove the rubble of a building destroyed following an Israeli attack on the town of Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, October 15, 2023. /CFP)