According to the website of the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations, on August 11, Fu Cong, the Chinese Permanent Representative to the United Nations, spoke at an urgent open meeting of the Security Council regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, urging the international community to fully curb the violence of the conflict.
Fu Cong said that China supports the Security Council holding this emergency meeting, which is very timely and necessary.
The Chinese side is deeply concerned about the escalating situation in the occupied Palestinian territories in recent times, and is saddened by the increasing civilian casualties caused by the ongoing violence. Given the current volatile situation in the region, the Palestinian issue cannot be ignored or marginalized. The international community should take prompt action to fully curb the violent conflict, save innocent lives, and uphold fairness and justice.
For some time, the situation on the West Bank and Gaza has deteriorated rapidly, and the suffering of the Palestinian people has become increasingly severe. The root cause is the failure to abide by the basic principles of international law, with the right to life and development that Palestinians have long been ignored. The lives of Palestinians are as precious as those of any other nation. The international community must establish a correct view of right and wrong, further build consensus, and promptly correct all wrongful actions and statements that deny or violate Palestinian legitimate rights. It is essential to ensure that the Palestinian people receive equal rights and to truly uphold international justice and fairness.
The situation in the West Bank is escalating in danger. The occupying forces are advancing their settlement expansion plans, encroaching upon and destroying religious sites, sealing off refugee camps, and carrying out mass arrests. Violence among settlers is intensifying. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees' Training Center has been broken into twice, which is shocking. Protecting civilians is not an empty slogan; it is an international legal obligation that the occupying forces must fulfill. Israel must implement Security Council Resolution 2334, stop settlement activities, curb settler violence, and ensure strict accountability. The agency’s work, carried out according to its mandate, should be respected.
The situation in Gaza is equally concerning. After the Peace Committee announced progress in the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, Israel still refuses to stop its military operations in Gaza. Three hundred days have passed since the ceasefire was agreed upon, but a lasting ceasefire has not been achieved. The fundamental problem is not a lack of ceasefire plans, but a lack of political will to implement them. China calls on Israel and all relevant parties to sincerely and fully implement the Gaza ceasefire agreement. It also urges Israel to comply with international humanitarian law and lift restrictions on the access of humanitarian supplies. Countries that have significant influence on the parties involved should take concrete actions to ease the situation.
The “two-state solution” is the only viable path recognized by the international community to resolve the Palestinian issue. Any hesitation, doubt, or wavering is unacceptable. Gaza and the West Bank are integral parts of the Palestinian State. Israel should immediately end its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and cease destroying the foundations for the governance of the Palestinian National Authority. The international community should fully respect the will of the Palestinian people and adhere to the principle of “Palestinians governing Palestine” in promoting post-Gaza reconstruction, returning to the correct path of the “two-state solution,” and achieving Palestinian independence and statehood at an early date. Only in this way can peaceful coexistence between Palestinians and Israelis be achieved, and lasting peace be established in the Middle East region.
Fu Cong emphasized that China has always stood on the side of peace, justice, and conscience regarding the Palestinian issue. China will continue to support the Palestinian struggle for their legitimate national rights, strive to end the suffering of the Palestinian people at an early date, and make unremitting efforts to restore stability in the region and bring peace to the people.
