The Saudi Foreign Minister calls on the international community to pressure Israel to cease fire in Gaza

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said, during a meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister and the ministers of Arab and Islamic countries, that the international community needs to assume its responsibility to stop Israeli violations in Gaza.

Cease-fire

The Saudi Foreign Minister and his counterparts from Arab and Islamic countries arrived in Beijing on Monday on the first leg of a tour of permanent member states of the United Nations Security Council to press for an immediate ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid into the region.

During a meeting with diplomats in Beijing, Prince Faisal called for more international efforts to end the war on Gaza and save lives.

“We are here to send a clear signal: that we must stop the fighting and killings immediately, and we must deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza immediately,” the Foreign Minister said.

End the war

Prince Faisal added: “We aspire to cooperate with China and other countries that realize the seriousness of the situation to end the war.”

He pointed to the dangerous escalation in Gaza, which requires effective international action to end the violence that has so far claimed the lives of about 12,000 people.

Supporter and friend

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing is ready to work to help "restore peace in the Middle East."

“Let us work together to quickly calm the situation in Gaza and restore peace in the Middle East as soon as possible,” Wang told the foreign ministers in his opening remarks in Beijing.

He pointed out that Beijing is "a good friend and brother of the Arab and Islamic countries," adding that it "always strongly supports the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their rights and legitimate national interests."

He called on the international community to take urgent measures to stop the "humanitarian catastrophe" unfolding in Gaza and prevent the spread of this tragedy.

“The situation in Gaza affects all countries around the world, calling into question the human sense of right and wrong and the bare minimum of humanity,” he said.

Calming the fighting in Gaza

Beijing has deepened its alliances with non-Western-led multilateral groups, such as the BRICS bloc, while strengthening relations with countries in the Middle East and the Global South.

Wang added on Monday that China will work to "calm down 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."

The officials holding meetings with the Chinese President on Monday are from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, Palestine, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and others.