China urges an immediate halt to military operations in the Gaza Strip that further aggravate the situation and the opening of humanitarian relief channels, a Chinese envoy said on Saturday at a summit held in Cairo on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The international community should be objective, impartial and practical in promoting a comprehensive, just and permanent solution to the Palestinian issue as early as possible, Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Middle East Issue Zhai Jun said at the summit.

Noting China is deeply saddened by the heavy civilian casualties and the severe humanitarian situation caused by the escalation of the conflict, Zhai said China opposes and condemns all actions that harm civilians and any violations of international law.

He stressed that the continued escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict once again proves that the Palestine question cannot be ignored or forgotten. The fundamental way out of the recurring Palestinian-Israeli conflict lies in implementing the "two-state solution" and establishing an independent State of Palestine, so as to realize the peaceful coexistence of Palestine and Israel, he noted.

China will continue working with all relevant parties and the international community to de-escalate the conflict as soon as possible, support the Palestinian people's just cause of restoring their legitimate national rights, implement the "two-state solution" and push for lasting peace and security in the Middle East region, said the Chinese envoy.

The Cairo Summit for Peace was attended by the representatives from 31 countries, including China, Jordan, Qatar, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and South Africa, together with United Nations and European Union officials. Israel, however, did not send any representatives to the summit.

(Cover: Attendees at the Cairo Summit for Peace in Cairo, Egypt, October 21, 2023. /Chinese Foreign Ministry)