Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news conference that “a complete and permanent ceasefire in Gaza should be achieved as soon as possible to prevent further deterioration of the conflict.”
Responding to a question about whether Haniyeh’s death could affect the declaration signed by Hamas last week in Beijing, in which it committed to forming a government with other Palestinian factions, Lin Jian said that “China has always supported Palestinian reconciliation” and that its realization “is an important step toward resolving the Palestinian issue and achieving peace” in the region.
The spokesman said that Beijing hopes that the Palestinian factions “will realize the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the basis of internal reconciliation.”
"China has always been committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East and opposes foreign interference," the spokesman said, adding that Beijing is "ready to work with all parties involved to make efforts to promote long-term stability in the region."
The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday expressed its "opposition and condemnation" after the "act of assassination" of the leader of the Palestinian organization. Haniyeh "died as a result of a treacherous Zionist attack," said a Hamas statement, which assured that Israel "will not go unpunished."
The Hamas political leader, who has been living in self-imposed exile in Qatar, was visiting Tehran to attend the inauguration ceremony of reformist Masoud Pezeshkian as president of Iran.
In the declaration signed last week in Beijing, Hamas committed to the secular Fatah formation, with which it has been in conflict since 2007, and other Palestinian factions to form a "temporary government of national unity" with authority over all Palestinian territories (Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem).
The Hamas representative in Beijing for the signing of the agreement was senior leader Moussa Abu Marzouk.
The signatories, including Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), have pledged to continue implementing these agreements "to end the division" between them, which were reached thanks to the mediation of China and other countries such as Egypt, Algeria and Russia.
China has repeatedly reiterated its support for the "two-state solution", expressing its "dismay" at Israeli attacks on civilians in Gaza, and its officials have held several meetings with representatives of Arab and Muslim countries to reaffirm this position or to try to advance peace negotiations.
