China urges Israel, Iran to cease hostilities, return to dialogue

China on Tuesday urged Israel and Iran to cease hostilities and return to dialogue towards a political settlement.

"The immediate priority is to cease hostilities, take effective measures to prevent further escalation, and avert greater instability in the region. Returning to dialogue and negotiations for a political settlement reflects the broad consensus of the international community," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news conference in Beijing, as reported by the state-run Global Times.

The remarks followed a Monday joint statement by 21 countries' foreign ministers condemning Israel's airstrikes on Iran and calling for regional de-escalation, nuclear disarmament "without selectivity," and respect for international law.

The initiative included Türkiye, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Bahrain, Brunei, Chad, Gambia, Algeria, Comoros, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Libya, Egypt, and Mauritania.

Beijing "welcomes the joint statement by Egypt and other Arab, Islamic and African countries and commends their efforts to de-escalate the situation," Guo told reporters.

Guo also expressed "deep concern" about Iranian state TV being targeted by Israel, as well as urging all parties "to immediately take measures to cool down the tensions as soon as possible and prevent the region from falling into greater turmoil."

A ceasefire and an end to the war are of "paramount urgency, and only dialogue and consultation can bring lasting peace," said Guo.

Separately, the Chinese Embassy in Tel Aviv on Tuesday urged its citizens to leave Israel "as soon as possible."

Regional tensions have escalated since Friday, when Israel launched airstrikes on multiple sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.

Israeli authorities said at least 24 people have been killed and hundreds injured in Iranian missile attacks since then.

Iran said at least 224 people have been killed and over 1,000 others wounded in the Israeli assault.