China condemns violent attacks by Israel on Palestinians waiting to receive aid

China has expressed its surprise and strong condemnation of the reported Israeli bombardment that killed over 100 Palestinians while they were in Gaza waiting for aid.

The remarks were delivered on Friday by Mao Ning, the spokesperson for the foreign ministry, in response to reports that Israeli forces had opened fire on a group of Palestinians in Gaza City who were awaiting aid.

It is also revealed that during the purported attack on Thursday, over 760 people sustained injuries. “We mourn for the victims and express our sympathies to the injured,” Mao said at a news conference.

He urged all parties concerned, especially Israel, to immediately cease fire and stop fighting.

Mao said there was a need to earnestly protect the safety of civilians, ensure humanitarian access, and avoid further humanitarian disasters.

China’s condemnation followed that of South Africa and other members of the international community.

Mahmoud Abbas, the president of Palestine, earlier denounced the incident, which resulted in the greatest number of civilian casualties in recent weeks, calling it a “ugly massacre conducted by the Israeli occupation army on people who waited for aid trucks at the Nabulsi roundabout.”

The European Commission head, Ursula von der Leyen, expressed her dismay at the photos from Gaza on Friday, saying that “every effort must be made to investigate what happened and ensure transparency.”

30,228 people have been killed and 71,377 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The revised death toll in Israel from the October 7 attacks stands at 1,139.