Palestinians from Ain Al-Helweh camp prepare to move from a shelter in Sidon to a center of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebaon, Sept. 12, 2023. The latest round of armed clashes between members of the Fatah Movement and Islamic militants in the Ain Al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp broke out last Thursday evening and intensified in the following days.(Photo: Xinhua)

The current situation in Palestine is critical, with tens of thousands of casualties and hundreds of thousands of people displaced due to the conflict. China is deeply saddened by the large number of civilian casualties and the deteriorating humanitarian situation caused by the conflict and is deeply concerned about the prospect of further escalation of the conflict, Zhai Jun, special envoy of the Chinese government on the Middle East issue stated at a press conference during the Palestine summit in Egypt on Sunday.

China opposes and condemns all acts that harm civilians and any practices that violate international law. It calls on all parties involved to remain calm and exercise restraint, to avoid further deterioration or even loss of control of the situation, and to prevent an even more serious humanitarian disaster.

Zhai believes that the immediate priority is for the parties involved in the conflict to immediately reach a ceasefire, abide by international humanitarian law, ensure the safety of civilians, and create necessary conditions for de-escalation and humanitarian relief. The international community should maintain calm and restraint, uphold objectivity and fairness, promote de-escalation of the conflict, open humanitarian relief channels as soon as possible, and avoid causing a greater impact on regional and international security, he said.

On Saturday, Israeli airstrikes persisted in targeting the Gaza Strip, while the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) continued launching rockets at Israel. Amid a two-week blockade, the only border crossing between the besieged coastal enclave and Egypt, the Rafah crossing, allowed 20 trucks transporting humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, which is far from sufficient.

The current Israeli-Palestinian situation has fundamentally resulted from the long-standing denial of the Palestinian people's right to establish their own state, the continuous violation of their right to survival, and the disregard for their right of return, Zhai said. The historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people cannot last indefinitely, and their legitimate national rights cannot be traded or denied. Only through a comprehensive, just, and lasting resolution of the Palestinian issue can the Middle East truly achieve lasting peace and universal security.

Zhai also pointed out that the fundamental solution to the Israeli-Palestinian peace lies in the "two-state solution." Only by establishing an independent Palestinian state can peaceful coexistence between Palestine and Israel be achieved, and harmony between the Arab and Jewish nations be realized.

However, in recent years, the Palestinian issue has deviated from the track of the solution and the UN Security Council resolutions have not been effectively implemented, further eroding the foundation for resolving the Palestinian issue.

China has always stood on the side of fairness and justice, peace, international law, and human conscience regarding the Palestinian issue, Zhai stressed. And China firmly supports the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights and supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital and full sovereignty.

Global Times