China urges Israel to stop military operations in Gaza's Rafah city

In a statement, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said: "China is closely following the developments in the Rafah area, and opposes and condemns actions that harm civilians and violate international law."

Beijing called on Israel to "stop military operations as soon as possible and make every effort to avoid casualties among innocent civilians, so as to prevent a more serious humanitarian disaster in the Rafah area".

On the morning of February 12, the Israeli army conducted a series of fierce airstrikes on Rafah City in the southern Gaza Strip and surrounding areas.

According to Gaza health officials, at least 52 people were killed and hundreds injured in the airstrike.

Rafah is home to more than half of the Gaza Strip's population of 1.4 million people, after residents from other areas fled and took refuge in the city. The airstrikes hit 14 homes and three mosques in different parts of Rafah.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the army to prepare for a ground offensive against Rafah. This move immediately met with criticism from the US and countries in the region. US President Joe Biden warned Israel not to launch a military operation in Rafah without a plan to ensure the safety of more than 1 million people taking refuge in the area.