China urges global efforts for two-state solution

China's top envoy to the United Nations on Wednesday called on international communities to increase efforts in advancing the political prospects of the two-state solution of the Palestinian question.

Any solution to the current situation must not deviate from the two-state solution and should be conducive to regional peace and stability, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, said at a Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

"Any arrangement on the future and destiny of Palestine must seek the consent of the Palestinian people and address the legitimate concerns of the countries of the region," Zhang emphasized.

"The United Nations should continue to play an active role in building international consensus and promoting the peace process. The Security Council should be ready to take responsible and meaningful action on the situation in Palestine and Israel to ensure that it stands the test of history and conscience," Zhang said.

The UNSC Resolution 2712, adopted in mid-November, called for humanitarian pauses and corridors in Gaza to allow relief supplies, Zhang went on to say that it, "represents an important initial step toward a ceasefire and de-escalation of the situation".

The resolution must be fully and immediately implemented in order to achieve a durable ceasefire and avoid further humanitarian catastrophe, Zhang said, calling Israel to cease its military operations against civilian facilities, such as hospitals and schools, and curb the growing settler violence in the West Bank.

"We support further diplomatic efforts to facilitate the early release of more detainees, in the hope that this will open up political space for dialogue and consultation and the resumption of peace," he said.

Zhang said China strongly condemns the clear violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza and opposes any collective punishment of Palestinian civilians, forced displacement and forced transfer.

"We urge Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza as soon as possible and to fully restore the supply of basic goods such as water, electricity and fuel. We call for the urgent opening of more relief corridors to Gaza and for the full utilization of border crossings…to ensure the unimpeded and efficient entry of sufficient humanitarian supplies into Gaza from all directions," said Zhang, adding that China supports further action by the Security Council on this issue on the basis of Resolution 2712.

China has been making unremitting efforts to restore peace, said Zhang.

President Xi Jinping on Tuesday attended the BRICS extraordinary virtual summit on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, which was also the first summit since the expansion of BRICS, calling for justice and peace.

On the meeting, leaders jointly called on the international community to support a just solution to the Palestinian issue and to promote the realization of the two-state solution, said Zhang.

In addition, a delegation of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers came to Beijing on Monday to coordinate with China to promote the current Palestinian conflict of cooling down, protecting civilians, and impartially solving the Palestinian issue.

On Monday, WHO told reporters that 21 out of 24 hospitals in Wadi Gaza, located north of the besieged Gaza Strip, are now "completely non-functional". This situation has arisen due to escalated conflict, with ambulances coming under fire, hospitals overwhelmed with a surge of critical patients and a growing number of casualties, Time Magazine reported.

At least 14,500 Palestinians have been killed, including around 6,000 children and 4,000 women, since the outbreak of the Hamas-Israel conflict on Oct 7, according to the Hamas-run government media office.