China condemns Gaza deaths, urges Israeli restraint

China on Tuesday condemned the border violence in Gaza and urged all parties to exercise restraint after 58 Palestinians were killed a day earlier during demonstrations coinciding with the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem.

"We condemn the violence against civilians and call upon the two parties, especially Israel, to maintain restraint and avoid escalation of the tension," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said at a press conference.

He underlined that the the status of Jerusalem was the reason behind the current tensions and described it as a "highly sensitive issue that involved nationalistic and religious sentiments that should be resolved through dialogue between the two parties".

"We support Palestine in resuming their legitimate rights and interests," Lu said, expressing Beijing's backing for "the establishment of a Palestine state that enjoys full sovereignty and (...) with East Jerusalem as its capital".

While US President Donald Trump claimed that the transfer of the embassy and recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital would serve to move towards peace, the day of the new embassy's inauguration turned out to be the most violent one in four years in Palestine.

--IANS

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