United Nations: China has appealed for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza Strip between Israel and Palestine's Hamas and avoiding of any military ground operations and other actions that may lead to further escalation of the crisis.

Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, made the appeal at an emergency meeting of the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, Xinhua reported. "We urge parties concerned to immediately cease hostilities, withdraw their ground troops from Gaza, completely lift the blockade against Gaza and give access to UN and other international humanitarian aid agencies so as to ease the misery of the local population."