The Chinese Embassy in Tel Aviv issued a security alert on Friday, urging Chinese nationals in Israel to strengthen precautionary measures as risks in the Middle East further escalated.

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The international community must take a united and firm stand in support of the Palestinian people and uphold international law amid escalating tensions between Palestine and Israel, Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin said on Thursday.Speaking to Xinhua on the sidelines of an emergency open-ended meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) at the level of foreign ministers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Shahin said the international community has a responsibility to stand alongside the Palestinian people against what she characterized as Israeli violations.Today, Israel must see a unified and resolute international community -- one that respects international law, she said, noting that Israel has failed to comply with previous international resolutions. Numerous resolutions have been adopted in the past, yet Israel has adhered to none of them.Commenting on recent remarks by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who suggested that Israel has the right to claim control over the entire Middle East, Shahin described the statements as deeply concerning and entirely unacceptable.We are in the 21st century. No country has the right to claim that extending its control over neighboring territories is acceptable, she said. Such remarks are rejected outright.On China's role in the Palestinian issue, Shahin said China has consistently supported the just cause of the Palestinian people and backed the two-state solution on international platforms.China is a very important country. We see China maintaining this position in all international forums, she said. We expect China to continue supporting the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people until the establishment of a Palestinian state on its own land.

US authorizes departure of some embassy personnel from Israel over safety risks

The U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford arrived off the coast of Haifa, northern Israel, on Friday, Israeli media outlets reported.

Leading scholars from the Asia-Pacific region gathered for the side event of the 13th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development to explore how frontier technologies can be translated into practical solutions for advancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).