Xi attends welcome ceremony hosted by Tajik President Rahmon

Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping attended a welcome ceremony hosted by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, on Friday afternoon.

Rahmon greeted Xi at the square outside of the presidential palace when the car carrying the Chinese president arrived.

The two heads of state stepped onto the reviewing stand together, before the military band played the national anthems of China and Tajikistan. A 21-gun salute was then presented.

Xi, accompanied by Rahmon, reviewed the guard of honor and exchanged greetings with them in Tajik.

The two leaders shook hands with members of each other's entourage and exchanged greetings, before watching a military march-past.

Xi arrived in Tajikistan on Thursday evening after concluding a state visit to Kazakhstan, where he also attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana.

Xi attends welcome ceremony hosted by Tajik President Rahmon

Xi attends welcome ceremony hosted by Tajik President Rahmon

Xi attends welcome ceremony hosted by Tajik President Rahmon

Xi attends welcome ceremony hosted by Tajik President Rahmon

Xi attends welcome ceremony hosted by Tajik President Rahmon

Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Thursday that the group is willing to consider a ceasefire proposal if it includes guarantees for a truce in the war-torn Gaza Strip.

A member of Lebanese parliament from the Hezbollah coalition made the statement at a news conference in Beirut.

He criticized Israel's strike on a Beirut health care facility that killed at least five people, and warned the international community against Israel's continuous violations of international law.

"The world is facing a challenge. Can they find one humanitarian or international law that Israel hasn't violated? All U.N. charters, U.N. Security Council resolutions, Israel has violated them. Isn't it enough that it tore the U.N. Charter? Isn't it enough that it declared the [U.N.] secretary general an undesirable person, a Persona Non Grata" said Ibrahim Al Moussawi, an Hezbollah official and member of the Lebanese parliament.

The group also vowed to continue their fight until it sees a realistic proposal for a ceasefire.

"The decision for a ceasefire is left to those in the battlefield. We consult with those in the field, and we who deal with politics when we receive an offer that is realistic and would also achieve a ceasefire in Gaza as well. Only then we can consider making a deal," said Ibrahim.

The Israel Defense Forces have been carrying out an unprecedented, intensive air attack on Lebanon, dubbed "Arrows of the North", since Sept. 23, after nearly a year of low-intensity cross-border exchanges of fire with Hezbollah. And in another sign of escalation, the country has launched a ground incursion into Lebanon since early Tuesday.

The Israeli air and ground raids have since killed 1,974 people, including 127 children, wounded 9,350 others, and forced more than 1.2 million civilians to flee their homes, according to the Lebanese health minister.

Hezbollah willing to consider ceasefire proposal if it includes guarantees for truce in Gaza: official