West calls on Israel to protect Gaza civilians, China fears conflict spreading

US President Joe Biden convened a virtual meeting of the so-called "Quint" group of countries - including the US, France, Britain, Germany and Italy - along with Canada on October 22 (US local time) to discuss the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian political -military organization that controls the Gaza Strip, according to Reuters.

In a joint statement after the meeting, Western leaders welcomed the release of two hostages by Hamas and called for the immediate release of all remaining hostages. The call comes amid growing concerns that the Hamas-Israel war could spill over into a wider conflict in the Middle East. Israel has been bombarding Gaza heavily for the past two weeks and is preparing for an invasion of the territory, as cross-border fighting between Israel and Lebanon continues to escalate.

Phương Tây kêu gọi Israel bảo vệ dân thường Gaza, Trung Quốc lo xung đột lan rộng - Ảnh 1. — Israeli tanks and military vehicles gather near the border with Gaza on October 22.

In the statement, President Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to work closely to support their citizens in the region, and especially those who want to leave Gaza.

They welcomed the arrival of the first aid convoy in Gaza, and pledged to continue working with regional partners to ensure “sustainable and safe access” to food, water, medical care and other humanitarian assistance for Gaza’s 2.2 million civilians.

They also agreed to continue close diplomatic coordination, including with key regional partners, to "prevent the spread of conflict, maintain stability in the Middle East and work towards a lasting political and peaceful solution."

On October 22, President Biden also had a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Pope Francis of the Vatican.

The White House said Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu discussed the aid convoys to Gaza and "affirmed that the flow of vital aid will now continue". Meanwhile, Mr Biden and Pope Francis discussed "the need to prevent escalation in the region and work towards a lasting peace in the Middle East".

Meanwhile, China said the situation in Gaza is "very serious" amid the increasing risk of large-scale ground war and the spread of fighting along the borders of neighboring countries.

According to a report in Chinese state media on October 23, Mr. Ze Jun, the Chinese government's special envoy to the Middle East, said that the impact of the Hamas-Israel war in the region and globally is growing by the day, with conflicts increasing along the Israel-Lebanon and Israel-Syria borders, "making the outlook worrying."

Mr. Trach called on the international community to “be extremely vigilant on this issue” and take immediate action, calling on relevant parties to strictly comply with international humanitarian law and avoid a serious humanitarian disaster, in a “joint effort to control the situation.”

According to Reuters, the Israeli military said early on October 23 that its aircraft attacked two Hezbollah units in Lebanon that were planning to launch anti-tank missiles and rockets toward Israel. Hezbollah said one of its members was killed but did not provide further details.

Fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah has intensified since Israel launched a retaliatory operation against Hamas for the October 7 attack. Israel has evacuated 42 communities along its northern front with Lebanon, while Hezbollah says at least 27 of its fighters have been killed in the past two weeks.

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