China is shocked and strongly condemns the Israeli air attack on a Palestinian neighborhood in Gaza City that caused large numbers of civilian deaths and injuries, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan in Beijing on Tuesday.
In response to a question from the press, Kong said China again called on the Israeli and Palestinian sides to stop all forms of violence immediately, and avoid further deterioration of the Middle East situation.
Early on Tuesday, Israel's most advanced F-16 warplanes imported from the United States reportedly attacked a neighborhood in Gaza City, killing 12 Palestinians and wounding 135.
(Xinhua News Agency July 24, 2002)
