Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday that China welcomes all efforts aimed at restoring peace and saving lives and called for lasting peace in the Middle East, as he shared the country's position on the first-phase of the cease-fire and prisoner exchange agreement reached between Israel and Hamas.

Wang made the remarks while addressing a joint press conference in Bellinzona, Switzerland, alongside Swiss Federal Councillor and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis.

Describing the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza as "a stain of the 21st century", Wang said the world's collective conscience must be awakened.

Wang called for concerted efforts to achieve a genuine, comprehensive and lasting cease-fire to effectively ease the humanitarian crisis and restore regional stability.

He urged all parties to uphold the international consensus of "the Palestinians governing Palestine", emphasizing that any future arrangement concerning Gaza must fully respect the will of the Palestinian people.

Wang also emphasized the importance of remaining firmly committed to a two-state solution. It's only through the establishment of an independent State of Palestine and the actualization of the Palestinian people's legitimate national rights, Wang said, that historical injustices can be rectified and the root causes of violence excised, paving the way for lasting peace and coexistence between the two sides.

China stands ready to continue working with the international community, including Switzerland, to make unremitting efforts toward achieving enduring peace and stability in the Middle East, he added.