A Chinese envoy on Friday said that the Palestinian-Israeli situation is the most pressing issue, and a comprehensive and just solution to the Palestinian issue cannot be delayed.

The outbreak of fresh conflict shows that piecemeal crisis management is unsustainable, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN).

China supports the League of Arab States and Arab countries in playing a leading role, he said, urging the United Nations and the Security Council to heed the call of Arab countries, strengthen coordination with regional mechanisms, work on the basis of international consensus, take effective measures to promote an immediate ceasefire and make every effort to ensure the safety of civilians in order to prevent an even deadlier humanitarian disaster.

The times call for unity and cooperation, without which effective responses to various global challenges will be impossible, said Zhang. 

(Cover: Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, October 20, 2023. /CFP)