People are seen among the rubble of buildings destroyed in an Israeli bombing at Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, on Nov. 13, 2023. The government media office in Gaza announced on Monday that the Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks has risen to 11,240, while more than 28,000 others were injured.(Photo: Xinhua)

The situation of the Palestine-Israel conflict remains horrific as the death toll of Palestinians has risen to 11,240 as a result of Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip and as the United Nations lowered the flags of its institutions all over the world for the 101 staff killed so far during the war in Gaza. China is continuing its efforts in the UN and is dispatching diplomats to visit countries with influence to seek a cease-fire and promote peace in the region.

Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Middle East Issue Zhai Jun and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met on Monday in Ankara to discuss the latest developments in the Gaza Strip, according to a release from the Chinese Foreign Ministry. During the meeting, Zhai said in the face of the current crisis, the top priority is to immediately impose a cease-fire to prevent further escalation. 

Zhai said China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with Turkey, and make joint efforts to promote a comprehensive, just, and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue. Fidan stated that Turkey attaches importance to China's role and is willing to maintain close communication and coordination with China to jointly promote an early end to the conflict and achieve lasting peace in the region.

Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, on Monday also made remarks at the Fourth Session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and other Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs), saying that nuclear weapons and other WMDs have been a major factor causing a trust deficit in the Middle East, undermining regional peace and stability. 

A UN flag flies at half-mast at the UN headquarters in New York on November 13, 2023. UN lowered the flags of its institutions all over the world for the 101 staff killed so far during the conflict in Gaza. Photo: AFP

After the outbreak of the latest Palestine-Israel conflict, some voices from Israel, including senior politicians like Israeli Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu, who said the use of nuclear weapons in Gaza is an option, have prompted heavy criticism from the international community and once again raised international concern over nuclear proliferation in the region, analysts said.

The ongoing Gaza crisis has exposed the problem of dysfunction in the UN Security Council due to the irresponsible acts of the US, and Middle East countries might face the danger of an arm races as they are concerned that the geo-political balance and security mechanism are collapsing, said Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University.

"So at this moment, China, as the permanent member of the UN Security Council and a nuclear-armed power, needs to play a responsible role to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and other WMDs in the region," said Wang Jin, an associate professor at the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies of Northwest University.  

Geng said on Monday that "Recently, what the Israeli officials said about the use of nuclear weapons in the Gaza Strip has caused an uproar. China was shocked by statements of this kind and expressed its concern. These kind of statements are universally condemned. It is extremely irresponsible and disturbing. Such statements run counter to the international consensus that a nuclear war cannot be won and must not be fought, in contrary to the international spirit of establishing a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons, and go against the overwhelming international call to de-escalate, cease hostilities and protect civilians." 

"We urge Israeli officials to retract these statements, and urge Israel to accede to the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons as a non-nuclear weapon state as soon as possible and to place all its nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards," Geng noted. 

Israel is a nuclear-armed country with US acquiescence, so if Israel wants to legitimize its nuclear-armed status during its war against Gaza, this will definitely force other major regional powers like Iran and Saudi Arabia to get rid of the restrictions of the non-proliferation treaty. The region will then face a new round of nuclear-proliferation, and this is why China needs to speak out and warn the region of such dangers, experts noted.  

Due to the worsening situation, all Chinese nationals have left Gaza safely, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a routine press conference on Tuesday.

According to the UN official website, "From the hustle and bustle of New York City to the edge of the Karura Forest in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, offices across the global UN system paid tribute on Monday to the 101 staff killed so far during the war raging in Gaza - the largest loss during a conflict in the Organization's 78-year history."

The death toll of Palestinians has risen to 11,240 as a result of Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7, the Hamas-run government media office in Gaza said Monday, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday.

Chinese analysts said that although the international community keeps calling for an immediate cease-fire, the conflict is still far from ending with a growing death toll of civilians and UN staff. A key reason is that Israel does not receive enough pressure from the international community, and the US still one-sidedly justifies Israel's operations under the pretext of "self-defense" while the operations have already inflicted a great loss of civilian life.