Arab-Muslim Ministers Plead for Gaza Ceasefire During Beijing Visit

• Arab, Muslim ministers urgently call for Gaza ceasefire in Beijing.
• Delegation challenges Israel’s self-defense claim at the UN Security Council.
• Saudi Foreign Minister emphasizes halting fighting and delivering aid.

On Monday, Arab and Muslim ministers urgently called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during their visit to Beijing, marking the initial phase of a diplomatic tour aimed at ending hostilities and facilitating crucial humanitarian aid to the devastated Palestinian region.

The delegation, scheduled to engage with representatives from all five permanent members of the UN Security Council, is intensifying efforts to challenge the Western acceptance of Israel’s self-defense justification for its actions against Palestinians.

The officials currently in discussions with China’s leading diplomat, Wang Yi, hail from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, Palestine, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, among other key nations.

“We are here to send a clear signal: that is we must immediately stop the fighting and the killings, we must immediately deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza,” said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

The extraordinary joint Islamic-Arab summit in Riyadh this month also urged the International Criminal Court to investigate “war crimes and crimes against humanity that Israel is committing” in the Palestinian territories.

Seeking an end to hostilities in Gaza, Saudi Arabia, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has urged the United States and Israel to address the issue.

The Crown Prince convened Arab and Muslim leaders to reinforce the message.

The situation escalated when Hamas conducted a deadly cross-border incursion into Israel on October 7, resulting in about 240 hostages.

In response, Israel invaded the Gaza Strip with the aim of eliminating the group. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run government, Israeli bombardments since then have claimed the lives of at least 13,000 Palestinians, including approximately 5,500 children.

She said that Israel hoped that the delegation would talk about hostages captured by Hamas “and call for their immediate release without preconditions,” adding that the parties involved should talk together about Egypt’s “role in facilitating humanitarian assistance.”

‘Brother and friend’

China’s Wang said Beijing was a “good friend and brother of Arab and Muslim countries,” adding it has “always firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights and interests.”

Throughout the course of the conflict, China’s foreign ministry has consistently advocated for de-escalation, urging both Israel and Palestine to work towards a “two-state solution” that would lead to the establishment of an independent Palestine.

On Monday, Wang added China will work to “quell the fighting in Gaza as soon as possible, alleviate the humanitarian crisis and promote an early, comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue.”

Over the past year, Zhai Jun, China’s special envoy on the Middle East, has held discussions with officials from Israel, the Palestinian Authority (governing the occupied West Bank), the Arab League, and the European Union.

The focus of these talks has been on exploring a two-state solution and advocating for the recognition of Palestine at the United Nations.

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