China denies providing weapons to Hamas in Israel-Gaza war

According to China’s regulations on arms exports, Beijing’s weapons sales should serve the legitimate self-defence capabilities of the recipient country, should not harm world and regional peace, security and stability, and should not interfere in the recipient country’s domestic affairs.

A truck carrying Chinese humanitarian aid to Gaza waits for departure in Cairo, Egypt on November 27. China says it has supplied aid, but not weapons, to Palestine. Photo: Xinhua
This is the first time since the war between Israel and Gaza began in October that Beijing has denied its direct involvement following allegations that the Palestinian militant group Hamas is using weapons and equipment made in China.

Earlier this month, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it discovered a “massive” stockpile of Chinese-made weapons being used by Hamas, according to a report by The Telegraph.

The IDF’s investigation said Hamas possessed advanced weapons and equipment made in China, such as cartridges and rifle sights for M16 assault rifles, automatic grenade launchers and communications devices.

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“This is top-grade weaponry and communications technology, stuff that Hamas did not have before, with very sophisticated explosives which have never been found before and especially on such a large scale,” an Israeli intelligence source said, according to The Telegraph.

The US and other Western allies have stood with Israel after Hamas militants launched a surprise attack against Israel on October 7 that left an estimated 1,200 dead and about 240 taken hostage.

Hamas has released about 100 of the hostages, but Israel says about 130 remain in Gaza.

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The conflict has escalated as the US and Britain launched air strikes earlier this month against Iran-aligned Houthi in Yemen after the militant group attacked international and commercial shipping in the Red Sea to show its support for the Palestinians.
China has refused to take sides in the Israel-Gaza war and urged the two sides to seek peace in the conflict. But it has also repeatedly called out Israel’s “excessive self-defence” in its operations in Gaza.

Last week while visiting Cairo, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi called for the convening of a “larger-scale, more authoritative and more effective international peace conference” to implement a “two-state solution” and resume peace talks to end the war in Gaza.

South China Morning Post

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