China has pledged a donation of $200,000 to assist the parents of students who died in what it called an “indiscriminate” missile attack on a school in Iran during the early phase of the Middle East conflict.
The Chinese government announced the contribution on Friday, saying the funds would be channelled through the Red Cross Society of China to support the affected families.
According to reports from Iranian authorities, the missile strike hit a school in southern Iran on the first day of the war. The government of Iran has accused the United States and Israel of conducting the attack, an allegation both countries have yet to officially confirm.
Iranian media reported that funerals were organised for at least 165 victims, including several children, who lost their lives in the incident. However, the casualty numbers have not yet been independently confirmed.
Reacting to the development, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the donation would be handed over to the Iranian Red Crescent Society as emergency humanitarian aid intended for “condolences and compensation” to the relatives of the deceased students.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun condemned the strike, describing it as a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
“Attacks on schools and children constitute a more severe violation of international humanitarian law and breach the bottom line of human conscience and morality,” Guo said during a regular press briefing in Beijing.
Meanwhile, a military probe by the United States is reportedly ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the missile attack.
