Foreign and Military Affairs

China backs UN statement on Israel's deadly raid

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-06-03 19:29

BEIJING - China said on Thursday it backed a newly-released UN statement which called for an investigation into the Israeli raid on a humanitarian flotilla.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu made the remarks at a regular press conference.

China was also supportive of an urgent meeting held by the United Nations' Human Rights Council, Jiang said, noting China had voted in favor of the relevant resolution.

The United Nations' Human Rights Council passed a resolution on Wednesday, in which it decided to send an independent fact-finding mission to investigate Israel's deadly attack on an aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip.

At least nine people were killed and more than 30 injured in Monday's Israeli commando raid on the Gaza-bound aid convoy.

The UN Security Council on June 1 issued a presidential statement, in which it "condemns those acts which resulted in the loss" of the lives of civilians and called for a "prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation" into the incident.

Jiang said China supported the presidential statement, and China urged Israel to take concrete steps to adhere to the relevant UN resolutions, break the blockade on the Gaza Strip and end the humanitarian situation in the area.

China also hoped the parties involved could promote the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in a serious and responsible manner, to help bring peace and stability to the Middle East, she said.