Speedy end to conflict in Gaza will ease tension in Red Sea: China

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - China on Tuesday reiterated its position that ending the war in Gaza will ease the tension in the Red Sea which has seen attacks on ships by Yemen’s Houthis.

China “does not hope to see tensions in the Red Sea,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.

“We call for a halt to the harassment and attacks on civilian ships. A speedy end to the conflict in Gaza will help ease the situation in the Red Sea,” Wang told reporters in Beijing, according to the ministry.

Houthis have said they have been targeting Israel-linked vessels in the Red Sea in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza, prompting the US and Britain to launch retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi targets inside Yemen.

China has repeatedly linked attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea to the Israeli war on Gaza.

Early this month, Beijing even abstained from a vote against Houthis at the UN Security Council.

Israel launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, killing at least 26,751 Palestinians and injuring 65,636. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.