Chinese envoy: Immediate ceasefire in Gaza is the universal call

A Chinese envoy said Thursday that an immediate ceasefire in Gaza is the universal call of the international community and the overwhelming consensus of Council members.

Two days ago, the Council once again missed an opportunity to push for a ceasefire in Gaza because of the veto of an Algerian-drafted resolution by the United States, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, stressing that "the realization of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza is an urgent requirement to save innocent lives and to prevent a wider war."

The envoy said that China has noted that the U.S. has introduced a new draft resolution and hopes that the United States will adopt a responsible attitude, and respect the established consensus of the members of the Security Council.

The core of the Council's action must be the immediate realization of a ceasefire, and the relevant signals must be clear, unambiguous and unmistakable, rather than evasive and covert, he told the Security Council. 

"What the Council needs at this time is strong determination, not just negotiating skills," Zhang emphasized.

Zhang also pointed out that China is gravely concerned by the recent repeated public dismissal of the two-state solution by some Israeli politicians and their rejection of any international effort toward independent Palestinian statehood.

Noting that "Gaza is an inalienable part of Palestine, and the two-state solution is the bottom line of international justice and the only viable path toward the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli issue," he said that China urges Israel to stop without delay eroding the foundation of the two-state solution, "halt the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians, and cease the searches, arrests, and raids in the West Bank."

The historical wrongs suffered by Palestine must be righted. Palestine's aspiration for independent statehood must be fulfilled. China supports Palestine in becoming a member of the United Nations as soon as possible, and calls for the convening of a larger, more authoritative, and more effective international peace conference to push for a comprehensive, just, and lasting solution to the question of Palestine, he said.

(Cover photo: The United Nations headquarters in New York, U.S., September 14, 2020. /Xinhua)