Farkhund Yousafzai
Beijing, 8 August 2024 (TDI): Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi has held phone conversations with the foreign ministers of Jordan and Egypt, condemning the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.
The foreign minister urged for efforts by different parties to prevent further escalation of conflicts and emphasized countries to form a joint force to help achieve a cease-fire in Gaza.
Hamas named Yahya Sinwar, who is seen as representing Hamas’ hard-liners, as successor to Ismail Haniyeh. Arab countries hope that China can play a positive role in deescalating the situation as they recognize Beijing’s efforts and capacity in regional reconciliation, analysts said.
But the complexity of the situation needed joint efforts from all parties to address the current crisis, particularly the US and Israel, to avoid escalation, they said.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday released information on Wang’s phone calls with Badr Abdelatty, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, and with Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi, which took place on Tuesday. During both conversations, Wang said that Beijing resolutely opposes and strongly condemns the killing of Haniyeh.
While talking with Abdelatty, Wang said that retaliatory action leads to a vicious cycle, and violence begets more violence, intensifying conflict. Beijing will strengthen solidarity with Arab nations, and work with all parties to avoid further escalation and deterioration of the situation.
In talking with Safadi, Wang said that the key to avoiding the escalation and deterioration of the situation is to achieve a full and permanent cease-fire in Gaza as soon as possible and the global community should make a more consistent voice on this issue and form a joint force.
Fourteen Palestinian factions signed the Beijing Declaration on July 23, considered as a positive move toward ending division and strengthening Palestinian national unity.
Diplomacy to Avoid All-Out Regional War
With Iran’s retaliation against Israel looming after the assassination of Haniyeh, regional nations and major players have been actively engaged in diplomacy to avoid an all-out war in the region. Jordan’s Foreign Minister Safadi made a rare trip to Iran on Sunday and Russian media reported that Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu also visited Tehran on Monday.
US President Joe Biden called Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Monday and spoke with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar on Tuesday to discuss efforts to deescalate regional tensions, the White House said.
