In a high-stakes UN Security Council session on Monday, Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, urged Israel to immediately halt its military offensive in Gaza and suspend all settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. He warned that ongoing violence and construction are chipping away at the foundations of the two-state solution and deepening a humanitarian crisis.
Israel’s push to seize control of Gaza City has led to large numbers of civilian casualties each day, Fu said, calling any attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure “unacceptable,” and condemning the weaponization of humanitarian aid. Violations of international law and international humanitarian law are unacceptable.
Fu Cong pressed Israel to fully meet its obligations as the occupying power, ensuring the large-scale, rapid and safe delivery of humanitarian supplies and supporting UN and other aid agencies in their work. He emphasized that Israel’s ongoing settlement expansion, its tolerance of settler violence, and the squeezing of Palestinian living space are eroding the foundation of the two-state solution.
Warning that the attempt to annex West Bank territory would “completely undermine the prospects for a two-state solution and directly threaten stability in the Middle East,” China’s UN envoy called on the global community to oppose settlement activities, curb settler violence, and protect the governance foundations of the Palestinian Authority.
“Nearly 80 years have passed since the founding of Israel, yet the Palestinian people still have no place to call home. This situation is unacceptable,” Fu said, stressing that the right of the Palestinian people to an independent state is an inalienable national right.
China pledged to continue working with international partners to help end the fighting, alleviate the humanitarian crisis, and promote a just, lasting resolution to the Palestinian issue—contributing to peace and stability across the Middle East.
As tensions rise in Gaza and the West Bank, observers around the world are watching closely: Will diplomatic pressure translate into renewed efforts toward peace, or will the cycle of violence push the two-state vision further out of reach?
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China urges Israel to halt Gaza offensive, settlement expansion
cgtn.com
