IT seems that the Middle East is on the verge of greater war escalation because of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in which unfortunately the helpless Palestinians are in the line of fire. More than 5500 Palestinians have so far been killed by Israeli air strikes. It has also started land military operation from South Gaza side. It is feared that ongoing war between Israel and Hamas would further start a new end-game in the region and accelerate new power struggle through deadly proxies resultantly toppling states, societies and systems in the Middle East, North Africa and even in South East Asia.
Moreover, the recently inked peace agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia with the help of China may also confront with some serious irritants in the region. The expected normalization ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel would also be derailed and delayed but not dead. Even eight other prospective Muslim countries could not dare to have friendly ties with Israel at least for the time being. Unfortunately, the Chinese BRI’s further expansion in the Middle East would also be in the line of fire because of deteriorating law & order situation in the region. The same would also be replicated on the recently announced India-US-Middle East and EU trans-regional economic corridor connecting India with the Middle East including Israel, Egypt and EU.
Nevertheless, the Chinese diplomatic wisdom showed the right way of achieving the desired goal of conflict resolution through “Two-States” solution. Fundamental reason for the current situation is the failure to safeguard the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people. On its part the government of China and Chinese Foreign Minister & member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Wang Yi have been playing constructive and reconciliatory role to defuse tensions and achieve some kind of truce between the conflicting parties. In this regard, Wang’s telephone diplomacy is yielding some results. Wang held a phone conversation with foreign ministers of Palestine and Israel and maintained that all countries have the right to self-defence, but they should respect the international humanitarian law and protect the safety of civilians.
The statement of Wang is holistic, vividly reflects importance of humans and humanity which urges both parties to have security, food and medicine rather than war for the people of Gaza. Thus both parties should avoid any further misadventure and geopolitical calculation. To lessen the current human miseries for the struggling people and falling souls of Gaza, China has provided emergency humanitarian assistance through the Palestinian National Authority and UN agencies, and will continue to provide material assistance based on the needs of the Gaza people. Wang’s strong condemnation and opposition of the killing of civilians is in the line of international laws & norms and calling for an immediate ceasefire to stop the war, ensuring basic living conditions of the people in Gaza clearly demonstrates China’s firm belief in humanity and protection of the basic human rights.
Wang statement that the UN Security Council and the international community should shoulder its responsibilities shows China’s persisted policy of international cooperation. His suggestion to involve major countries out of the region is timely, objective, fair, and constructive in cooling down the crisis. Palestinian Foreign Minister Al-Maliki appreciated China’s role for upholding justice, making a clear and strong statement, standing firmly with the Palestinian people and providing emergency humanitarian assistance to Palestine. Al-Maliki, notes that Palestine calls for an immediate ceasefire, transporting the relief goods to the Gaza Strip as soon as possible, and treating the injured. Furthermore, Wang also held a phone conversation with Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen. He termed the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict fatal for regional security and desired to prevent the situation from escalating further and causing even more serious humanitarian hardship.
China is deeply concerned about the continued escalation of the conflict and the worsening situation, and deeply saddened by the large number of civilian casualties caused by the conflict, said Wang. China condemns all acts that harm civilians and oppose any violation of the international law he further added.
Wang rightly stressed that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict fully demonstrates the need of Two-State solution which will achieve sustainable security and facilitate political settlement. Wang hoped that the two sides could consider the current situation as well as the long-term interests of peace and security and resume peace talks and realize the peaceful coexistence of Palestine and Israel and the harmonious coexistence. Despite Western hyping China’s stance toward the ongoing conflict has remained consistent and clear, and that it opposes violence, attacks on civilians of any country and encourages peaceful negotiation. In contrast with China’s impartiality, the US is fanning the flames and laying bare the double standards in regard to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
In summary, regional and global protests against Israel are a wake up call for the US and increasing human casualties and collateral damages in Gaza have created mounting pressure on the Biden Administration to act wisely. It seems that the western forces are going to commit a geopolitical and geostrategic suicide to put all their eggs in one basket. It is predicted that the Israel-Hamas war is likely to hurt other economies in the Middle East, including Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. It is suggested that all main stakeholders, conflicting parties and their trans-regional masters and handlers should avoid further escalation, otherwise spillover ramifications of this ongoing conflict would be deadly, destructive and devastating in the days to come. Only Chinese wisdom could be savoir of it.
The regional countries should circumvent doling out provocations to use their friends and supporters in the Middle East against Israel and the US especially Axis of Resistance (Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iraq). Yemeni Houthi, Lebanon’s Hezbollah Syrian militant group and last but not the least Hamas should not open any further new front in the region. It is further suggested that the GCC mainly Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE should play important role in resolving the conflict and avoid any further geopolitical divide and geostrategic turmoil in the Middle East. Sufferings of helpless Palestinians should not be scapegoated to any hidden bargaining, otherwise fires of radicalization, fanaticism and terrorism may again be entangled the entire region. Chinese wisdom holds the keys of truce, de-escalation and peace in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and peaceful persuasions and implementation of the “Two-States solution” is only way forward for a prosper Middle East in the days to come.
—The writer is Executive Director, Centre for South Asia & International Studies, Islamabad, regional expert China, BRI & CPEC & senior analyst, world affairs, Pakistan Observer.
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