US should play 'responsible role' in Israel-Gaza conflict: Chinese FM to Blinken

Washington should “play a constructive and responsible role” in the Israel-Gaza conflict, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi told his US counterpart Antony Blinken during a phone call on Saturday. “The United States should practically play a constructive and responsible role, pushing the issue back on track for a political settlement as soon as possible,” Wang told Blinken, according to a readout published by the Chinese foreign ministry. The conflict between Israel and Hamas seemed poised to intensify on Saturday as the Israeli military reiterated its advisory for civilians in the densely populated northern portion of the Gaza Strip to relocate to the southern area “to protect your safety.” This recommendation came in anticipation of a widely anticipated ground offensive. Israel’s military ordered hundreds of thousands of civilians living in Gaza City to evacuate ahead of a feared Israel ground offensive. The directive came Friday on the heels of what the United Nations said was a warning it received from Israel to evacuate 1.1 million people living in northern Gaza. Palestinians and some Egyptian officials fear that Israel ultimately hopes to push Gaza’s people out through the southern border with Egypt. With agency inputs.