UNITED NATIONS – A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called on the international community to take action to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and violence.
China is deeply concerned about the recent escalation in the occupied Palestinian territory and is deeply distressed by increasing civilian casualties caused by the ongoing violence, said Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.
Against the backdrop of regional escalation, the Palestinian question must not be ignored or marginalized. The international community should take swift action to end conflict and violence, save innocent lives, and uphold fairness and justice, he told a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the West Bank.
"For some time now, the situation in the West Bank and Gaza has seen a sharp deterioration, leading to more pain and suffering to the Palestinian people," said Fu. "At its core, this is due to the fact that the fundamental principles of international law have not been respected while the Palestinian people's rights to survival and development have long been ignored."
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The lives of the Palestinian people are just as precious as those of any other people. The international community must uphold a clear sense of right and wrong, further build consensus, promptly correct all erroneous words and deeds that deny or infringe on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, and ensure their equal rights so as to effectively uphold international fairness and justice, he said.
The situation in the West Bank has been escalating dangerously. The occupying power is pushing forward with settlement expansions, desecrating and vandalizing religious sites, blockading refugee camps, and carrying out mass arrests, while settler violence is intensifying, said Fu.
Israel must cease settlement activities, curb settler violence, and ensure strict accountability, he said.
The situation in Gaza is equally concerning. Even after the announcement by the Board of Peace of progress on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, Israel has refused to halt its military operations in the strip. More than 300 days after the signing of the ceasefire agreement, a lasting ceasefire has yet to be achieved, he noted.
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The current situation is due to a lack of political will to implement the ceasefire. China calls on Israel and all relevant parties to implement fully and in good faith the Gaza ceasefire agreement, and urges Israel to comply with international humanitarian law by lifting restrictions on the entry of humanitarian supplies. Countries that have significant influence over the parties should take concrete actions to help de-escalate the situation, said Fu.
The two-state solution is the only viable path to resolving the Palestinian question as recognized by the international community. Any hesitation, skepticism, or wavering is unacceptable. Both Gaza and the West Bank are integral parts of the state of Palestine. Israel must end its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory as soon as possible and cease undermining the governance structures of the Palestinian Authority, he said.
The international community should fully respect the will of the Palestinian people, advance post-war reconstruction in Gaza in accordance with the principle of Palestinians governing Palestine, return to the correct path of the two-state solution, and realize the early establishment of an independent Palestinian state, he said.
On the question of Palestine, China has always been on the side of peace, justice, and conscience. China will, as always, support the just cause of the Palestinian people to realize their legitimate national rights, work to bring an early end to the suffering of the Palestinian people, and make unremitting efforts to restore stability to the region and bring peace to its people.
