Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, called for preventing situations in the occupied Palestinian territory from spiraling out of control. 

"China is deeply concerned about the accelerated deterioration of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories over the past period of time and the increasing intensity of conflicts," Zhang said at the UN Security Council briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question on Thursday.

Calling for efforts to advance a two-state solution, the envoy stressed that Palestine and Israel are neighbors that cannot move away from each other and should break the cycle of violence and seek common security.  

On the religious holy sites, Zhang said that the historical status quo of religious holy sites in Jerusalem must be respected and upheld.

He also called for the removal of the Gaza Strip blockade and encouraged more humanitarian assistance. 

Since the beginning of this year, over 100 Palestinians, including children, have lost their lives in conflict. Israel also suffered civilian casualties. On Thursday, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian teenager when clashes erupted during an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Noting that violence must be unequivocally rejected, Zhang said that China condemns all violence against civilians in the occupied territories and calls on all parties concerned to exercise calm and restraint and to avoid any unilateral action that exacerbates tensions.

"The United Nations, including the Security Council, and all parties in the international community must demonstrate a sense of urgency and, on the basis of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations, make greater efforts to promote the relaunching of the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, take vigorous action to promote the two-state solution, and make a stronger voice for the maintenance of fairness and justice," he said. 

(Cover: Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks at an emergency meeting of the Security Council at the UN headquarters in New York, on June 6, 2023. /Xinhua)