China calls on all parties, 'especially Israel', to deescalate tensions after Nasrallah's killing

Beijing, PTI: China on Sunday called on "parties concerned, especially Israel", to immediately take actions to cool down tensions to prevent the conflict in West Asia from going out of control in the aftermath of the killing of Iranbacked Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Israeli bombing. "China is closely following the incident and is deeply concerned over the escalation of tensions in the region," a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said.

Separately, China also issued an advisory asking its citizens not to travel to Lebanon due to the intensification of the conflict. "China opposes the infringement on Lebanon's sovereignty, opposes and condemns any action against civilians, and opposes any move that fuels antagonism and escalates tensions,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said. "China urges parties concerned, especially Israel, to immediately take actions to cool down the situation and prevent the conflict from escalating or even spiralling out of control,” it said, without directly referring to Nasrallah's killing, regarded as a major setback to Iran, the main backer of the Hezbollah.

Reports said Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said Nasrallah's death “will not go unavenged”. has been shifted to a secure location. Khamenei also announced five days of public mourning after Nasrallah's death. In recent years, China has stepped in its diplomatic engagement in the Middle East. Last year, Beijing managed to bring about a landmark peace deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia. After the intensification of the Gaza war, China hosted a meeting of 14 Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas, in July.