Guterres says rule of law 'outmuscled'
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres raised concerns on Monday that the rule of law is being "outmuscled" by the rule of force in his opening speech at the 61st UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva.
Guterres also warned that a two-state solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict was being undermined, noting that human rights "are under a full-scale attack around the world".
"Around the world, human rights are being pushed back deliberately, strategically and sometimes proudly," he said, adding that the consequences are "devastating".
"I began this month speaking to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People about blatant violations of human rights, human dignity and international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory," he said.
"The current trajectory is stark, clear and purposeful: the two-state solution is being stripped away in broad daylight," he added, saying the international community "cannot allow this to happen".
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a news briefing in Beijing on Tuesday that China is closely following the relevant developments in the Middle East and urged all parties to exercise restraint and resolve their differences through dialogue.
She said escalation of tensions in the Middle East is not in the interest of any side.
Also on Tuesday, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that Israeli forces raided the towns of Silwad and Turmus Ayya in the occupied West Bank.
In addition, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry denounced the torching of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Mosque in Tell village, southwest of Nablus, West Bank, on Monday, by a militia of Israeli settlers and called for international action.
Late on Monday, nearly 20 countries from the Middle East, Europe and Asia, plus the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, issued a collective statement condemning "extensions to unlawful Israeli control over the West Bank".
"Changes are wide-ranging, reclassifying Palestinian land as so-called Israeli state land, accelerating illegal settlement activity, and further entrenching Israeli administration," the statement said.
"In the holy month of Ramadan, we also stress the importance of preserving the historic and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its Holy Sites … We condemn repeated violations of the status quo in Jerusalem, which constitute a threat to regional stability," it added.
Tightening control
On Feb 15, the Israeli Cabinet approved further measures to tighten Israel's control over the West Bank, making it convenient for settlers to buy land.
Arie Afriansyah, a professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Indonesia, told China Daily that Guterres' warning is justified.
The world is increasingly witnessing military and political power determining outcomes, while core legal restraints — especially the UN Charter's limits on the use of force and the duty to protect civilians — are applied inconsistently, Afriansyah said.
Meanwhile, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud on Monday discussed developments in the Gaza Strip and other regional and international issues.
During a meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, they stressed the necessity for all parties to adhere to the ceasefire agreement to stop the conflict and implement the peace plan for Gaza, the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement.
They also highlighted the importance of increasing the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza without obstacles and the need to expedite the early recovery and reconstruction process.
Furthermore, they rejected attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land, saying the solution lies in launching a comprehensive political process that leads to the implementation of the two-state solution.
Xinhua contributed to this story.
