Foreign and Military Affairs

China condemns Israel's attack on Gaza aid ships

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-05-31 22:58

BEIJING - China on Monday condemned Israel's raid on an international convoy of six ships carrying activists and humanitarian aid to Gaza.

"We were shocked by the Israeli attack which led to severe casualties and condemn it," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu in a statement.

Israeli forces on Monday attacked the international convoy when trying to prevent it reaching Gaza, killing at least 10 and wounding more than 30 others, including Turkish activists on board.

Ma said China urged Israel to seriously implement UN Security Council resolutions and improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

The incident occurred six days after United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's appeal at a UN meeting in support for the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process, in which he urged Israel to exercise particular restraint in East Jerusalem and halt demolitions and settlement expansion.

The flotilla consisted of six ships carrying about 10,000 tons of aid, including cement, water purification systems and wheelchairs. It had set sail from a port in Cyprus on Sunday and was scheduled to reach Gaza by Monday morning.

Israel has been imposing a tight blockade on the Gaza Strip since the Islamic Hamas movement seized control of the enclave by force in June 2007. However, Israel said that in spite of the blockade, it had allowed food, fuel and humanitarian aid into the enclave over the past three years.