ISTANBUL (Bernama-Anadolu): Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Monday expressed "deep concern” over the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In a joint statement issued after the 25th SCO summit in Tianjin, China, they "strongly condemned the actions that have led to numerous casualties among the civilian population,” Anadolu Ajansı (AA) reported.
The SCO member states stressed the need for a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire, the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and greater efforts to ensure peace, stability, and security in the region.
The statement said the "only way to ensure peace and stability in the Middle East is a comprehensive and just solution to the Palestinian issue.”
The declaration was adopted as part of the Tianjin Declaration.
China hosted the two-day summit, during which SCO leaders adopted a 10-year development roadmap and agreed to deepen economic and security cooperation.
The bloc’s statement came as the death toll in Gaza rose to 63,557 since Israel’s war on the enclave began in October 2023. -- BERNAMA-ANADOLU
