BEIJING: China expressed on Friday "serious concerns" over Israel's plan to take control of Gaza City, urging it to "immediately cease its dangerous actions."
"Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people and is an inseparable part of Palestinian territory," a foreign ministry spokesperson told AFP in a message.
"The correct way to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to secure the release of hostages is an immediate ceasefire," they added.
"A complete resolution to the Gaza conflict hinges on a ceasefire; only then can a path to de-escalation be paved and regional security ensured," the spokesperson said.
Israel's military will "take control" of Gaza City under a plan proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and approved by his security cabinet, his office said in a statement Friday.
Nearly two years into the war in Gaza, Netanyahu faces mounting pressure at home and abroad for a truce to pull the territory's more than two million people back from the brink of famine and free the hostages held by Palestinian militants.
Under the plan to "defeat" Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army "will prepare to take control of Gaza City while distributing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population outside combat zones", the premier's office said.
Beijing said Friday it was "willing to work together with the international community to help end the fighting in Gaza as soon as possible."