China has called on Israel to stop immediately its military operation in southern Gaza's Rafah in order to prevent a "serious humanitarian disaster."

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

Israel is facing growing international pressure to agree to a cease-fire 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.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the overnight operation as "perfect," while the Palestinian foreign ministry said the deaths of dozens of Gazans amounted to a "massacre."

The rare rescue mission under heavy airstrikes came hours after Netanyahu spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden, who reiterated his opposition to a major assault on Rafah.

The United Nations has also warned Israel against carrying out a ground offensive into Rafah without a plan to protect civilians, who say they have nowhere left to go.