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China condemns U.S. for fueling tension in Gaza after failed UNSC statement
Updated 19:58, 18-May-2021
CGTN
00:43

China on Tuesday condemned the U.S. for fueling conflicts between Israel and Palestine after it blocked a United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire for the third time.

Lead by China, Norway and Tunisia, the UNSC on Sunday held an emergency meeting to discuss the situation in Gaza. However, due to U.S. opposition, the meeting has again ended with no concrete outcome.

The ongoing conflict is the worst violence between Israel and the besieged Palestinian enclave since 2014. So far, it has killed 204 Palestinians, including 59 children, and 10 Israelis, including a five-year-old boy and a soldier, since it started on May 10.

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02:33

Speaking on the issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian expressed China's disappointment and that of the international community in the U.S. block on the joint statement, saying the U.S. is standing on the opposite side of the justice.

According to Zhao, the majority of the UNSC member states were calling for an immediate ceasefire to avoid a total crisis and mitigate casualties. Meanwhile, the U.S., instead of striving to stop the crisis, chose to fuel the tension by being the sole dissenting voice on the issue of blocking the international efforts.

Under Joe Biden's administration, the U.S. has green-lighted a $735 million sale of precision-guided weapons to Israel, U.S. media reported on Monday.

Noting that the U.S. has been isolated in the UNSC for its stance on the issue, Zhao urged the U.S. to drop its rhetoric on the rights and dignity of the Muslims and act to protect the rights and dignity of the Palestinians.

Instead of solely caring about its own interests on the issue, the U.S. should work with the international community, contribute to the cooling down of the tension and support the UNSC's role in settling disputes and rebuilding trusts, Zhao stressed.

China has been a firm supporter of the peaceful settlement of conflicts between Israel and Palestine. On Sunday's open debate at the UNSC, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had called on the two sides to exercise restraint.

China supports the two sides resuming peace talks based on a "two-state solution" to establish an independent State of Palestine that enjoys full sovereignty with East Jerusalem as its capital and based on 1967 borders, and fundamentally realize the peaceful coexistence of Palestine and Israel, realize the harmonious coexistence of the Arab and Jewish nations, and realize lasting peace in the Middle East, Wang said.

"China will continue to intensify efforts to promote peace talks and fulfill its duties as the rotating presidency of the UNSC," said Wang, adding that China invites peacemakers from Palestine and Israel to hold a direct talk in China.

(Cover: Rockets launched toward Israel from the northern Gaza Strip and response from the Israeli missile defense system known as the Iron Dome leave streaks in the sky, Gaza City, Gaza, May 14, 2021. /Getty)

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