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China denies providing weapons to Hamas in Israel-Gaza war
- For the first time since conflict began, Beijing rejects allegations that it is arming Palestinian militant group
- The denial comes after Israeli military reportedly discovers ‘massive’ stockpile of Chinese-made weapons being used by Hamas
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China has “never provided any weapons” to conflict areas, including in the Israel-Gaza war, the Chinese defence ministry said – the first time Beijing has denied arming Hamas militants since the conflict began.
Colonel Wu Qian, the ministry’s spokesman, said on Thursday that China had provided food, medical and other emergency aid to the Palestinians but had never provided any weapons or equipment to conflict areas.
“It needs to be emphasised that China has always adopted a prudent and responsible attitude when it comes to arms exports and strictly follows the three principles of arms exports,” Wu said.
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According to China’s regulations on arms exports, Beijing’s weapons sales should serve the legitimate self-defence capabilities of the recipient country, should not harm world and regional peace, security and stability, and should not interfere in the recipient country’s domestic affairs.
Earlier this month, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said they had discovered a “massive” stockpile of Chinese-made weapons being used by Hamas, according to a report by The Telegraph.
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The IDF’s investigation said Hamas possessed advanced weapons and equipment made in China, such as cartridges and rifle sights for M16 assault rifles, automatic grenade launchers and communications devices.
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