China convened a diplomatic ministerial meeting in Beijing on Monday, November 20, gathering Middle Eastern foreign ministers to exert influence over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Foreign ministers from five countries—Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, and Indonesia—began their meeting in China with a round of official visits by the United Nations Security Council’s permanent members.
Wang Yi, China’s Foreign Minister, welcomed them, saying his country would engage with “our brothers and sisters in the Arab and Islamic world to try to end the war in Gaza as soon as possible.”
He further informed the foreign diplomats that their decision to visit Beijing shows their high level of trust in his nation.
The ministerial committee on Monday stressed the need for an immediate stop to “military escalation in Gaza and to propel the political process forward with the goal of lasting peace, as well as hold the Israeli occupation accountable for the blatant violations and crimes in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank,” based on a statement that the Saudi foreign ministry posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“China is a good friend and brother of Arab and Islamic countries. We have always firmly safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of Islamic countries and have always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people,” said Minister Wang.
The Saudi foreign minister demanded during Monday’s meeting an instant cease-fire as well as the delivery of relief and humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s ambassador to China, Irit Ben-Abba, stated on Monday that her nation, working with international organisations, is allowing enough humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and that “putting pressure on Israel in this regard is politically motivated and is not conducive to the humanitarian assistance that is needed.”
According to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the goal of the round trips is to carry out the directive given by the joint Arab-Islamic Summit, which took place on November 11, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on behalf of every member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States. This Arab-Islamic action is being taken to call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Additionally, it is intended to exert pressure on the establishment of a sincere and serious political process that would result in the realisation of an all-encompassing and long-lasting peace.
