China advocates for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and denounces Palestinian genocide at a UN meeting.
"Any discussion of a post-war arrangement for Gaza that deviates from the two-state solution is tantamount to building a house on quicksand," said Ambassador Zhang Jun.
247 - The United Nations Security Council is holding a high-level open debate on Wednesday (24) on the situation in the Middle East, including the genocide perpetrated by Israel against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Read below the full text of the statement From the Chinese Ambassador to the UN, Zhang Jun, at the UN Security Council Open Debate.
"Mr. President,
First of all, I would like to thank Minister Stéphane Séjourné for coming to New York specifically to chair today's meeting. I also want to thank Secretary-General António Guterres for his earlier presentation. China welcomes the participation of the foreign ministers from Palestine, Arab countries and other countries.
More than 100 days have passed since the beginning of the new cycle of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The international community has made tireless efforts to achieve a ceasefire, halt hostilities, protect civilians, free hostages, and avert a humanitarian disaster. The Security Council successfully adopted Resolutions 2712 and 2720.
However, unfortunately, the fighting in Gaza continues unabated, with the number of civilian casualties increasing daily, the suffering of the Palestinian people persisting, and the risk of further escalation of tensions in the region still existing. Without a doubt, the tragedy in Gaza violates the conscience of humanity and the principles of international law. There is no justification for it. And it absolutely must not continue. Today's meeting of the Council must send a message of unity and clarity.
In fact, there is overwhelming consensus in the international community on an immediate cessation of hostilities. It is regrettable that, due to the repeated use of veto power by an individual country, the relevant Security Council resolutions could not be adopted. The history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, spanning more than seven decades, has long pointed the fundamental path to peace. What is lacking is political will and determination.
At this moment, the international community, especially the United Nations and the Security Council, needs to demonstrate the strongest will, take the most vigorous initiatives and most effective actions with the greatest sense of urgency, and take practical measures to stop the flames of war and restore peace.
An immediate ceasefire must be considered the highest priority. A prolonged war will only cause more deaths and make the prospect of peace even more distant, rather than bringing a greater sense of security to either party. An immediate ceasefire is not merely a restriction on one specific party. Instead, it is a requirement for all parties. It is the basic prerequisite for saving lives, rescuing hostages, expanding humanitarian assistance, and achieving peace. Israel must immediately reverse course and halt its indiscriminate military attacks and the destruction of Gaza.
All countries in the international community must make diplomatic efforts to promote an immediate ceasefire. While pressing for a ceasefire in Gaza, every effort must be made to prevent the situation in Gaza from spilling over into the Red Sea and the wider region. We call on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid any actions that would escalate tensions.
We must remove all obstacles to the expansion of humanitarian assistance. As the Secretary-General highlighted, people in Gaza are dying not only from bombings, but also from hunger and the accelerated spread of infectious diseases, which are claiming more lives, especially those of children. Security Council Resolutions 2712 and 2720 must be fully implemented. And Israel must cooperate fully to this end. Obstacles to humanitarian assistance at the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings must be removed as quickly as possible.
Furthermore, direct crossings from Israel to northern Gaza must also be reopened as soon as possible. Resolution 2712 calls for the establishment of a mechanism to protect humanitarian organizations. Concrete agreements must be reached as soon as possible, to ensure as a priority that hospitals and UN agencies do not become targets of military operations.
China supports the work of Deputy Secretary-General Sigrid Kaag and awaits her report to the Security Council on the implementation of Resolution 2720 and the obstacles encountered following her communications with all parties. The Security Council should be prepared to take further measures to ensure safe, rapid and unimpeded access for sufficient humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
The two-state solution must be revitalized. The two-state solution is the only viable way to achieve peace for Palestine and Israel, and it is also a solemn requirement as a result of the implementation of Security Council resolutions. We are deeply concerned by the statements made by the Israeli leadership last week, rejecting a two-state solution and denying Palestine's right to sovereignty. This is unacceptable. Any discussion of a post-war arrangement for Gaza that deviates from the two-state solution is tantamount to building a house on quicksand.
The most important thing now is to prevent further erosion of the foundations of the two-state solution, which requires, first and foremost, an end to the forced displacement of the Palestinian population in Gaza by Israel, an end to the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, and an end to searches, arrests, and attacks against Palestinians. China calls for intensified diplomatic efforts to convene an international conference and launch meaningful multilateral processes as quickly as possible in order to revitalize the political prospects for a two-state solution. The independent sovereignty of Palestine must be an irreversible process, and we support, as a first step in this process, the full accession of Palestine to the United Nations as soon as possible.
Under the current circumstances, the Security Council needs to send clear and unequivocal signals reaffirming the urgency of the two-state solution as the only viable way out. Last November, China proposed a draft presidential declaration on the two-state solution to the Security Council. The draft presidential declaration proposed by Russia last week also included important elements of the two-state solution. It is regrettable that the drafts were not adopted. However, this will not stop us from continuing to press...