Government News

China Requests Peace Conference in Gaza While Israel-Hamas Conflict Continues

By - 16 Jan 2024 05:20 PM

Doha/Gaza: While Hamas released a video showing three Israeli hostages and declared that their whereabouts would be revealed on Monday, China demanded a comprehensive and high-level peace conference on the Gaza War.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed support for "the prompt resumption of Israel-Palestinian peace talks" and "the formulation of a specific timetable and road map for the implementation of the 'two-state solution'" during a speech over the weekend in Egypt.

Hamas aired video on Sunday showing three Israeli hostages it is holding in Gaza and urged the Israeli government to stop the offensive against the Palestinian Islamist group and bring about their release.The caption for the 37-second undated video featuring 26-year-old Noa Argamani, 53-year-old Yossi Sharabi, and 38-year-old Itai Svirsky read, "Tomorrow (Monday) we will inform you of their fate."

About half of the 240 individuals that Hamas detained during its cross-border killing spree that began the war were freed during a truce in November. 25 of the 132 people Israel claims are still in captivity have died.

Israel claims that the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas claimed the lives of over 1,200 people.

The Gaza health ministry has said almost 24,000 people have been killed in the Israeli offensive that followed with more than 60,000 wounded.