Death toll in Gaza nears 100 with latest air strikes by Israel
China sides with Arab states on Palestinian issue as it urges Israelis to show maximum restraint
Israeli aircraft struck crowded areas in the Gaza Strip and killed a senior militant with a missile strike on a media centre yesterday, driving up the Palestinian death toll to 96, as global efforts to broker a truce to end the worst violence in four years gathered pace.
International concern at the six-day-old offensive was mounting, with China calling for "maximum restraint" by all parties - especially Israel.
"We strongly urge relevant parties, in particular Israel, to exercise maximum restraint," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. "China supports Arab countries' just position on the Israeli-Arab issue."
A UN Security Council member, China has voiced support for the Palestinian push for statehood and urged the international community to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but not played an active role itself.
Escalating its bombing campaign over the weekend, Israel began attacking homes of activists in Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza. These attacks have led to a sharp increase in civilian casualties, killing 24 civilians in just under two days and doubling the number of civilians killed in the conflict, a Gaza health official said.
While Israel and Hamas were far apart in their demands for a ceasefire, both sides said they were open to a diplomatic solution - and prepared for further escalation if that failed.
The leader of Hamas took a tough stance, rejecting Israel's demands that the militant group stop its rocket fire. Instead, Khaled Mashaal said, Israel must meet Hamas' demands for a lifting of the blockade of Gaza.