"China follows closely the developments in the Rafah area, opposes and condemns actions that harm civilians and violate international law," a foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

Beijing urged Israel to "stop its military operation as soon as possible, (and) make every effort to avoid innocent civilian casualties, to prevent a more serious humanitarian disaster in the Rafah area."

China has supported proposed resolutions for a permanent ceasefire in the United Nations Security Council since shortly after the start of the war in October.

Israel is facing growing international pressure to agree to a ceasefire with Hamas as it prepares for an incursion into Rafah, the southern Gaza border city where more than a million displaced Palestinians are trapped.

Israel conducted a predawn raid in Rafah on Monday that freed two hostages and killed around 100 people, after rejecting Hamas's terms for a truce last week.

Cairo will be hosting a new round of talks to reach a ceasefire in the Israeli war on Gaza on Tuesday.

The talks will be attended by Mossad director David Barnea, CIA chief William Burns, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, and Egyptian intelligence officials.