China urges Israel to halt military operations in Gaza following hospital strike

China has called on Israel to immediately halt its military actions in Gaza after a deadly strike on a hospital, warning of the risk of a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Speaking on August 26, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing was “shocked” by the deaths of medical staff and journalists in the latest incident, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

He urged Israel to restore the flow of humanitarian aid, implement a comprehensive ceasefire, and ease tensions in the region.

“We express our condolences to the victims and our sympathies to their families,” Guo added.

International news organisations, including Reuters, the Associated Press, and Al Jazeera, also mourned their journalists killed in the attack, while the Israeli military announced it would investigate the incident.

The conflict in Gaza has proved particularly dangerous for media personnel, with watchdogs reporting that around 200 journalists have been killed during the nearly two-year-long Israeli assault.

Guo emphasised that China condemns all acts harming civilians, including violence directed at journalists, and said Beijing was closely monitoring developments in the Gaza Strip.

To recall, a double Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, killed at least 20 people, including five journalists working for international media outlets. The first strike occurred around 10:00 local time, followed about 10 minutes later by a second attack as rescuers and journalists responded.

The strikes hit the hospital’s emergency department, inpatient ward, surgical unit, and emergency staircase, causing widespread damage. Footage and eyewitness accounts show chaos and panic, with emergency workers and reporters caught in the second blast.

The World Health Organization confirmed the hospital sustained significant damage, with many casualties among patients, staff, and journalists.

By Aghakazim Guliyev