Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

China has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities by the Palestine-Israel conflicting parties on Tuesday as China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Geng Shuang, speaking at the Fourth Committee of the General Assembly on the Israeli actions and settlement activities that affect the rights of the people in the occupied territories. 

Geng stated that since the outbreak of the latest round of conflict between Palestine and Israel, the Palestinian people, especially those in the Gaza Strip, are facing a catastrophic situation. It must be reiterated that all violence and attacks against civilians should be condemned, and any practices that violate international law should be opposed. Indiscriminate use of force is unacceptable, and civilian facilities such as hospitals, schools, and refugee camps should not and must not be targeted in military operations. 

During the meeting, Geng called on the parties to respond to the overwhelming international call for a ceasefire and immediately stop hostile actions and disengage to prevent the situation from further escalating. China urges Israel, as the occupying power, to fulfill its obligations under international law, restore the supply of basic necessities to the Gaza Strip as soon as possible, ensure local communication, guarantee unimpeded access for rescue operations, and stop collective punishment of the people in the Gaza Strip, he stressed.

Behind the flames of war in the Gaza Strip, the fact is that the home to the Palestinian people has been squeezed to the limit under Israel's occupation for more than half a century. The current situation of the occupied Palestinian territories is unsustainable. Israel must stop violating the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 2334, cease all settlement activities, halt the eviction of Palestinian people, and put an end to escalating settler violence, returning to the correct track of the "two-state solution." 

The international community must face the root causes of the problem and not replace a comprehensive and just solution with fragmented crisis management, nor attempt to compensate for political and security debts with limited economic and humanitarian measures, he noted.

Geng said that China called on the United Nations and the Security Council to take responsible and meaningful actions to support the Palestinian people in restoring and exercising their inalienable rights. As the President of the Security Council for this month, China will continue to maintain close communication with all relevant parties, play a constructive role in promoting a ceasefire, protecting civilians, and avoiding greater humanitarian disasters, and make unremitting efforts for a comprehensive, just, and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue.

Global Times