EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell talks with Chinese and foreign journalists in Beijing on October 14, 2023. Photo: Chen Qingqing/GT

After Israel's military ordered about 1 million people in northern Gaza to evacuate to the southern part of the region within 24 hours, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called it "something impossible." The escalating conflict in the Middle East was crucial part of discussions with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing, and the two sides agreed that a two-state solution is the only long-term solution to the issue, he said. 

"We are facing critical moments in Gaza," Borrell told in a press conference in Beijing on Saturday. Although the two--state solution cannot be achieved for tomorrow, but this is the only solution that can be implemented, and we believe that we have to work in trying to build on this solution, he noted. 

Israel's military has ordered about 1.1 million people in northern Gaza to evacuate to the south of the territory ahead of an expected ground invasion, the Guardian reported on Saturday. Hamas urged people to stay in place and defy the Israeli military order to evacuate.

Tens of thousands of people in Gaza are believed to have fled their homes and moved south following Israel's warning, according to estimates by the UN humanitarian office OCHA, the media report said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that he "rejects the forced displacement" of Palestinians from Gaza, following Israel's order, the Aljazeera reported on Friday. 

Abbas also said that humanitarian corridors must be allowed in the blockaded coastal enclave immediately to prevent a humanitarian disaster, the media report said.

Borrell met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, on Friday, and they co-chaired the 12th China-EU High-Level Strategic Dialogue in Beijing.

"Certainly, we discuss about the situation there [in Gaza]," Borrell said, noting that he agrees with the Secretary General of the UN that asking 1 million people to leave within 24 hours is something that could not be done. 

"You cannot move such a volume of people in short period of time, especially there is no shelters neither transportation means," he said. 

The position is clear is that we certainly defend the rights of Israel to defend itself within the fact that it has been suffering. But as anyway, it has limit, Borrell said. "This limit is international law."

In addressing his meeting with the Wang Yi, Borrell said despite of differences, we believe that "there is still a space for cooperation and most important challenges that the world is facing cannot be solved without a strong engagement with China." 

A most important and crucial part of our discussion was the situation in the Middle East, and we certainly agree that the only long-term solution to this crisis is to work on the solution for the two states, Borrell said. 

The two-state solution must be fully implemented for the Middle East region to achieve true peace, and for Israel to attain lasting security, Wang said on Friday as he exchanged views on the escalating Palestine-Israel conflicts with Borrell. 

Just as Israel has the right to establish a state, so does Palestine. While the Israeli people have secured their survival, who is there to care about the survival of the Palestinian people? The Jewish nation is no longer wandering the Earth, but when will the Palestinian nation be able to return to their homeland? In this world, there are various injustices, and the injustice toward Palestine has been prolonged for half a century, carrying the pain of several generations. This cannot continue any longer, Wang stressed.