Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday described the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip as a "disgrace to civilization," reiterating Beijing's calls for an "immediate ceasefire."

"It is a tragedy for humanity and a disgrace to civilization, as today, in the 21st century, this humanitarian catastrophe is unstoppable. No reason can be used to kill civilians in Gaza," Wang told reporters during a press conference in Beijing.

Beijing has been calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza since the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip in October last year.

The Chinese Foreign Minister stressed that his country will be a global force for peace and stability. "In the face of complex turmoil in the international environment, China will continue to be a force for peace, a force for stability and also a force for progress in the world," Wang told reporters.

China has historically been sympathetic to the Palestinian issue and supportive of the two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

President Xi Jinping has called for an "international peace conference" to resolve the conflict.

"There is no reason that can justify the continuation of the conflict," Wang said, adding, "The international community must act urgently and make reaching an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities a top priority."

He added, "Ensuring humanitarian relief is an urgent moral responsibility."

Wang stressed, "We support Palestine becoming an official member of the United Nations."

He said, "The catastrophe in Gaza once again reminded the world of the fact that it is no longer possible to ignore that the Palestinian territories have been occupied for a long time."

He added, "The long-awaited desire of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state can no longer be avoided, and the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people cannot continue for generations without being corrected."