China stresses urgent need to end Gaza tragedy at UN Security Council high-level meeting

Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations Photo: CCTV

We must bring an end to the tragedy in Gaza without delay, we must alleviate the tensions in the West Bank, we must rectify the historical injustices suffered by the Palestinian people, and we must maintain peace and stability in the Middle East, Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), said at a UN Security Council high-level meeting on the Palestinian question on Tuesday.

The UN Security Council convened the meeting on Palestinian question at the initiative of Algeria, Guyana, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, and Somalia.

"We urge Israel to cease all military actions in Gaza without delay, fulfill its obligations as the occupying power under international humanitarian law, and fully restore access to humanitarian supplies," Geng said. He also called on Israel to immediately cease all settlement activities, curb settler violence, and remove restrictions on Palestinian economic activities, according to the website of the Permanent Mission of China to the UN.

A number of Western countries have recently recognized the state of Palestine one after another. The international community should sustain the current momentum, strive to revitalize the prospect for the two-State solution, and support the early establishment of an independent Palestinian state and its admission as a full member state of the UN, Geng said.

Both Gaza and the West Bank are inalienable parts of the Palestinian territory. We must resolutely oppose any unilateral actions that undermine the foundation of the two-State solution. Any "day after" governance and reconstruction arrangements must respect the will of the Palestinian people and uphold the legitimate rights of the Palestinians, he added.

The Middle East is once again standing at a historical crossroads. Relaxation or escalation, dialogue or confrontation, peace or war, these are the choices that the regional countries and the international community should make, Geng said.

China always upholds fairness and justice on the Palestinian question, and always firmly supports the just cause of the Palestinian people, he said.