ISTANBUL

Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday.

Xi met with Sanchez in Beijing during the Spanish premier’s four-day official visit to China.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the two discussed bilateral ties and regional and international issues. They also exchanged views on the Israel-Hamas war.

The meeting came as the death toll from Israel’s attacks on Palestinians climbed to nearly 41,000.

While both countries have called for a cease-fire in Gaza, Spain is the first European nation to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

The situation in Palestine and Ukraine was also the “subject of conversation between the two leaders,” said a statement by Sanchez’s office.

“Spain and China are friendly nations, defenders of peace, and committed to the multilateral order. That is why…it is in our hands to find a joint solution based on respect for international law and the principles contained in the UN Charter,” Sanchez said during his meeting with Xi.

“Both countries share the desire to put an end to these conflicts as soon as possible and achieve a global, fair and lasting peace,” he added.

Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip – now nearly a year old – has killed nearly 41,100 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured nearly 94,800 others, according to local health authorities.

A continuing blockade of the enclave has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.

The Spanish prime minister also expressed concern about Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Sanchez stressed the “need to continue to support a fair and lasting peace" in accordance with the UN Charter which respects the principles of sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Spain supports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s peace plan, he said, urging the Chinese leader to hold a conversation with Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy's 10-point formula was laid out at the 2022 G20 summit in Indonesia. It focuses on issues such as nuclear safety and food and energy security.