AT a time when appeals are being made for cessation of hostilities in Gaza, China has presented a cogent proposal aimed at bringing an end to the Palestine-Israel conflict.
Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi while chairing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate on “The Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question” via video link called for an urgent ceasefire, humanitarian assistance for victims of Israeli aggression in Gaza, vigorous action by international community on Palestine-Israel conflict reiterating firm support for a two-state solution and resumption of peace talks based on a ‘two-state solution’ to establish an independent State of Palestine that enjoys full sovereignty with East Jerusalem as its capital and based on the 1967 border.
The role and efforts of China for a just resolution of the longstanding conflict in the Middle-East are laudable as these are based on universally recognized principles of peaceful co-existence.
The Chinese proposal addresses all the elements that agitate the minds of the international community and it can form the basis for a just and durable solution of the conflict if the UN and other stakeholders extend their sincere support to the peace plan.
Continuation of bloodshed in Gaza is a source of immediate concern to the world community; that is why Beijing has emphasized the need for an urgent ceasefire.
In fact, as chair of the UN Security Council, China convened three meetings of the Council and drafted a statement to guide it to take action but the moves were scuttled because of non-cooperative rather obstructive behaviour of the United States.
Barbaric bombing of Gaza has resulted in large-scale killings, injuries and destruction; that is why China has proposed initiation of an urgent humanitarian assistance programme to help victims of Israeli aggression.
China has also urged Israel to earnestly fulfil its obligations under international treaties, lift all the blockade and siege of Gaza as soon as possible, guarantee the safety and rights of civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory and provide access for humanitarian assistance.
While urging the international community to provide its active support for a two-state solution, China has offered to host direct peace talks between Palestinians and Israel.
As the US has lost credibility as an honest broker, the offer made by China assumes greater significance and can rekindle prospects for a genuine and durable peace in the Middle-East.
