No easy fix in Gaza, Israeli ambassador tells China
Ambassador says that hopes of Beijing brokering a truce are too optimistic
It would be difficult for China to mediate in the Gaza conflict even though Beijing enjoys good relationships with both Israel and the Arab world, the Israeli ambassador to China has told the South China Morning Post.
Matan Vilnai said China could play a balancing role but warned that conflict in Gaza would be "very complicated" for Beijing to solve. He made the comment after Beijing made suggestions for peace and called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
"I know your leaders. They are very smart people, and they understand that dealing with the Middle East is very dangerous," Vilnai said. "It is very complicated, and I am not sure that China is prepared to do it, because it is not easy and there is not a simple way to do it."
He said not even the United States could bring the conflict to an end, despite it having been in a strong position in the Middle East for decades. "You must be part of the Middle East in order to do it," he said.
The six weeks of fighting have killed at least 2,038 Palestinians in Gaza, about three-quarters of them civilians. Sixty-seven people have died on the Israeli side, almost all soldiers. Egypt has scrambled to secure a ceasefire deal over the past weeks, but fighting resumed on Tuesday.
Beijing has been making an effort, albeit a marginal one, to help end the conflict.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, in Cairo on August 3, calling on the Israelis and the Palestinians to stop pursuing their "unilateral demands by using force" and to establish a security mechanism. China has pledged US$1.5 million in emergency humanitarian aid to Gaza.