China condemns Israeli attacks on civilians in Lebanon

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemned the indiscriminate attacks carried out by Israeli forces on Lebanese territory. He stressed China’s strong and steadfast support for Lebanon in preserving its sovereignty.

Xinhua quoted Wang during his meeting with his Lebanese counterpart, Abdullah Bou Habib, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, as saying yesterday: “China firmly supports Lebanon in maintaining its sovereignty, security and national dignity”.

Wang added: “Within the framework of the long-standing traditional friendship between China and Lebanon, Beijing is closely following the latest developments in the region, especially the recent Israeli bombings of wireless communication devices across Lebanon, and strongly opposes these indiscriminate attacks against civilians”.

Yesterday, the Israeli enemy launched a brutal, wide-scale attack on towns and villages in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that 492 martyrs were killed as a result of the aggression, including 35 children and 58 women, and 1,645 others were injured.

The Chinese minister denounced the raids, saying: “China strongly condemns any violation of the basic norms governing international relations”. He added:” No matter how the situation changes, we will always stand on the side of justice, on the side of our Arab brothers, including Lebanon”.

Wang stressed the need for the international community to take the initiative and send a clear message that war and escalation must stop. He said: “Armed force does not represent the truth, and only undermines peace”.

In turn, Bou Habib thanked Minister Wang for China’s clear and supportive stance towards Lebanon at the United Nations and other multilateral events, in light of recent developments and the continued Israeli aggression. Bou Habib stressed that Lebanon is determined to preserve its sovereignty and independence under the umbrella of the United Nations.

Souha Suleiman