China and Russia have hardened their positions towards the conflict in Gaza in recent days, as the war between Israel and Hamas aggravates existing geopolitical tensions and underscores the growing gulf between the cold war allies and western powers such as the US, UK and France.
The Chinese foreign minister said last weekend that Israel’s bombing campaign has gone “beyond the scope of self-defence” and that it “should stop collective punishment of the people of Gaza”.
Last Friday, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, raised the
