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CAIRO, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged on Sunday both Israel and the Gaza-ruling Hamas to stop the ongoing¹ fighting, calling on Israel to lift its blockade of the restive² enclave and release the Palestinians.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry attend a joint³ press conference in Cairo, Egypt, Aug. 3, 2014. (Xinhua/Cui Xinyu)

Wang, who started his two-day visit on Saturday, raised a five- point proposal on ceasefire in Gaza, saying China is a firm supporter and sincere mediator⁴ for the peace between the Palestinians and Israel.

Wang called for the two sides to completely cease fire to protect the people's lives and maintain regional peace. "All movements including airstrikes, ground offensive and launches of rockets should be stopped. Any abuse of force that caused deaths of civilians⁵ is unacceptable. All behaviors of violence against violence should be abandoned," Wang told a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shukry.

He stressed on China's support for the initiative of truce⁶ proposed by Egypt and other countries, urging both the Israeli and the Palestinian side to stop pursuing their unilateral demands by using forces. Both sides should seek for programs with mutual⁷ safety through responsible negotiations⁸ and establish a necessary security mechanism⁹, he said, adding that during this course, Israel should lift its seven-year-long blockade of the Gaza Strip and release the Palestinians. On the other hand, Israel's reasonable concerns over its security issues should also be noticed, Wang said.

In mid-July, Egypt proposed an initiative for a cease-fire in Gaza that was initially¹⁰ accepted by Israel. But Hamas rejected it, saying the proposal was not comprehensive and without guarantees for ending the Israeli blockade of the strip.

Wang reaffirmed China's support for the Palestinian people's reasonable demands and legal rights to establish an independent state. He noted¹¹ that the two sides should regard peace talks as an unshakable strategic choice, and try their best to renew dialogues and reach consensus¹² as early as possible, in order to avoid the failure of negotiations and escalation¹³ of the confrontation¹⁴.

The Chinese foreign minister also called for the UN Security Council to take necessary responsibility and play an important role in solving the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict. The international community should also coordinate¹⁵ in promoting the settlement of the issue.

Finally, the world should pay high attention to the humanitarian¹⁶ situation in Palestine, especially in the Gaza Strip, Wang stressed, adding that the international community should provide necessary aids and supports in time.

"China will grant 1.5 million U.S. dollars in emergency humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, while the Chinese Red Cross will also provide humanitarian support towards the Gaza Strip," Wang noted. "China is willing to work with the international community and to make contributions to ending the Palestine-Israel conflict."

Shukry highly praised the five-point peaceful proposal, noting that the Chinese stance was in coordination¹⁷ with Egypt's efforts. The world should welcome China's voices, he said, stressing expectations for China's influence in the settlement of the conflict.

Cairo is currently hosting a united delegation¹⁸ of various Palestinian factions¹⁹, including Fatah, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, for talks on the Egyptian bid for a truce in Gaza.

On the 27th consecutive²⁰ day of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, the death toll²¹ on the Palestinian side has reached 1, 800, mostly civilians, plus 9,500 wounded. On the other side, Hamas have also killed at least 64 Israeli soldiers and three civilians, according to Israeli reports.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (2nd L) holds a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry (2nd R) in Cairo, Egypt, Aug. 3, 2014. (Xinhua/Cui Xinyu)