Israel-Palestine War: China's special envoy to Middle East to speak to Israeli officials soon

China’s special envoy on Middle East issues is expected to speak with Israeli officials on Thursday as the war between Israel and Palestine reaches Day 6, Israel’s Ambassador to China, Irit Ben-Abba, told Bloomberg News. The planned talks come after Islamist group Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years from the Gaza Strip. China will officially announce the meeting later in the afternoon, during a regular briefing held by the foreign ministry. Earlier this week, Zhai Jun, the Chinese special envoy, condemned acts that harm the citizens of a country and called for an immediate ceasefire. China has previously worked on Israel-Palestine issues and has engaged officials from Israel and the Palestinian Authority - which governs in the occupied West Bank - as well as the Arab League and EU in the last year to discuss a two-state solution and recognition for Palestine at the United Nations. Meanwhile, the multi-pronged attacks against Israel by Hamas militants from Gaza since Saturday (October 7, 2023) and the subsequent Israeli retaliation have left over 2,300 people dead. The United Nations said that 338,934 Palestinians have been displaced in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hours after forming an emergency government and wartime Cabinet, also vowed to keep fighting Hamas, and for the first time, on Wednesday, clearly expressed his country’s intention to “destroy” the Palestinian terrorist group. With inputs from agencies