A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called for the restoration of peace and stability in Gaza and the West Bank.

The Palestinian question remains at the core of the Middle East issue and must not be ignored or marginalized. Only by achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian question can the vicious cycle of recurring conflict in the Middle East be broken and the dawn of peace truly emerge, Sun Lei, the charge d'affaires of China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, told a Security Council open debate on the situation in the Middle East.

Noting that more than 2 million people remain trapped in the threats of death and displacement more than nine months after the announcement of the Gaza ceasefire, Sun called on Israel and the relevant parties to fully implement the ceasefire agreement and achieve a genuine and lasting ceasefire in Gaza.

"Israel must fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law, lift restrictions on the entry of humanitarian supplies into Gaza, and ensure that humanitarian agencies, including the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, can carry out their relief operations," said Sun.

Settler violence in the West Bank has caused heavy civilian casualties and widespread destruction of homes, and the occupying power continues to accelerate settlement expansion and encroach on Palestinian territory, he said.

China urges Israel to immediately cease all settlement activities, take concrete measures to curb violence, and ensure serious accountability for all attacks, he said.

The envoy called on the international community to remain firmly committed to the two-state solution regarding the Palestinian-Israeli situation, step up its efforts, and take irreversible actions.

"Any attempt to alter the territory or demographic composition of Palestine would seriously undermine the foundation of the two-state solution and must be firmly rejected," he said.