China’s Foreign Ministry issued an unusual statement on Tuesday during the week-long Lunar New Year holiday, condemning the Israeli government for engaging in a self-defense operation in Rafah, Gaza Strip, where the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) rescued two Hamas hostages. .
The hostages, identified as Argentinian-Israeli Louis Haar and Fernando Mallman, were among an estimated 250 people abducted from Israel in the October 7 Hamas massacre in which an estimated 1,200 people were killed. Hamas terrorists carried out mass rapes. , torture, infanticide, and other atrocities. The Israel Defense Forces on Monday confirmed the rescue of two hostages in Rafah and released footage of the operation, which reportedly took place between Sunday night local time and Monday.
Attention: Israel Defense Forces releases aerial footage of hostage rescue in Rafah, Gaza
israel defense forces
“This was a complex rescue operation under fire in central Rafah, based on highly sensitive and valuable information from the Intelligence Directorate and the Israel Security Agency,” IDF spokesman Daniel said. Maj. Gen. Hagari told reporters.
Rafah is located at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, on the border with Egypt. In the aftermath of October 7, the Israel Defense Forces launched a series of self-defense operations against the genocidal jihadist terrorist group Hamas in northern Gaza, forcing locals to flee south. Pro-Palestinian voices, especially the Egyptian government, have vocally opposed any operation that could force Palestinians to flee to Egypt. Egyptian strongman Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has repeatedly insisted his country will not accept any Palestinian refugees, suggesting it will instead strand them in the Negev desert.
China, a distant power with little influence in the Middle East, has sought to raise its profile among Muslim countries by supporting Hamas and criticizing Israel’s self-defense measures. Many of these powers, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, are open to trade with China, even though China continues to perpetrate genocide of Muslims in occupied East Turkestan.On Tuesday, it was condemned Israeli operations in Rafah.
“We oppose and condemn acts that are contrary to civilian and international law. “We urge Israel to cease its military operations as soon as possible and do everything possible to avoid innocent civilian casualties. “We urge you to take measures to prevent a more catastrophic humanitarian disaster in Rafah,” China’s Foreign Ministry declared.
China has consistently supported anti-Israel interests since October 7. China is a close ally of Iran, Hamas’s largest state funder, and Iran has made public overtures to Beijing to increase its involvement in the anti-Israel movement. Communist dictator Xi Jinping responded in November with remarks about the October 7 massacre, calling for an “immediate ceasefire” from Israel against Hamas and calling it a “humanitarian disaster” that could be caused by Israel rather than terrorists. predicted.
“Stop all violence and attacks against civilians, release captured civilians, and act to prevent further loss of life and protect people from further misery,” Xi ordered. “Collective punishment of Gazans in the form of forced removals and deprivation of water, electricity and fuel must end.”
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Mr. Xi also echoed Hamas’s call for the establishment of an “independent Palestinian state.”
China later hosted a summit of Arab leaders in Beijing to drum up calls for Israel to allow Hamas to continue threatening its civilians.
“China is a good friend and brother to Arab and Islamic countries,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at the event. “We have always firmly defended the legitimate rights and interests of Arab (and) Islamic countries and have always steadfastly supported the cause of the Palestinian people.”
The operation, which enabled the rescue of two hostages in Rafah, was part of a broader order by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, in which he ordered the military to plan to destroy Hamas’ terror infrastructure in the southern city. I ordered him to do it. Controlling the border with Egypt allows Hamas to smuggle weapons and plan attacks outside of its limited control in the Gaza Strip, and an Israeli victory would require Hamas’ control of the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Netanyahu argued that it would be necessary to eliminate their presence.
Attention: Israel Defense Forces releases helmet camera footage of hostage rescue in Rafah, Gaza
“It is impossible to achieve the war goal of annihilating Hamas by leaving four Hamas battalions in Rafah,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday. “On the contrary, it is clear that the intense activity in Rafah will require the evacuation of civilians from the combat zone.”
The order drew the ire of Islamic countries and their communist allies, as well as the left-wing administration of US President Joe Biden. Biden reportedly personally told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a week before the hostage rescue that “the military operation in Rafah is designed to ensure the safety and support of the more than 1 million people sheltered there.” “We should not proceed without a credible and workable plan.”
White House national security spokesman John Kirby warned that the operation in Rafah would be a “disaster” in remarks on Thursday, shortly before Netanyahu’s announcement.
“Without due consideration to protecting civilians on such a scale in Gaza, the current military operation would be a disaster for those people, and that is not something we support,” Kirby said. Stated. Said He was responding to reports that Israel was planning to enter Rafah.
