China calls for ceasefire, UN peace conference to end Israel-Gaza conflict
- Beijing has released its first position paper on the war, which includes a broad-based forum aimed at achieving the two-state solution
- The paper’s release comes at the end of China’s presidency of the UN Security Council, during a humanitarian pause
The paper – released on Wednesday, the day before the Qatar-mediated halt to the fighting was due to expire – also called for an “immediate and sustained” humanitarian truce.
Israel and Hamas announced minutes before the expiry on Thursday that they were extending the truce by at least one more day, with Qatar reporting it would continue under the same conditions that have seen hostages released in exchange for prisoners.
The US and Egypt reportedly took part in the mediation to extend the pause, which began on November 24, seven weeks into the deadliest conflict in Gaza since the militant group took control in 2006.
The five-point position paper emphasising the “active and constructive role” the UN Security Council should play in resolving the Palestine question was released at the end of China’s month in the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council.
China urges UN Security Council to speak as one to end Israel-Gaza conflict
The day marks November 29, 1947, when the General Assembly adopted the resolution that provided for the establishment of two states in Palestine. It is traditionally used to draw attention to the unresolved question of a Palestinian state.
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to the UN in honour of the day and said China would continue to uphold “justice and righteousness” on the question of Palestine and actively promote peace and dialogue.
He also promised that China would continue to provide humanitarian and development assistance to the Palestinian people.
According to the position paper, the Security Council should also demand a comprehensive ceasefire and end to the fighting, as well as work for the de-escalation of the conflict and cool down the situation as soon as possible.
The paper also urged the UN body to help restore the two-state solution, based on the 1967 border, which would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel, with east Jerusalem as its capital.
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Xi Jinping calls for Gaza ceasefire, says two-state solution only option for lasting regional peace
China also called for a “broad-based, authoritative and effective” international peace conference, led and organised by the UN “as soon as possible”.
The conference should formulate a concrete timetable and road map for the implementation of the two-state solution and facilitate a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine, it said.
During China’s rotating council presidency, resolution 2712 was adopted on November 15, calling for “urgent and extended” humanitarian corridors throughout Gaza “to save and protect civilian lives”.
Foreign minister Wang Yi arrived in New York to chair a high-level Security Council meeting on Wednesday on the Israel-Gaza war, which he described as “the most pressing issue” facing the council.
“Generations of Palestinians are losing their homes and displaced after 70 years, and their cherished wish to establish an independent state was far from being reached,” he told the press after the meeting.
Establishing an independent state of Palestine is the only way to achieve peaceful co-existence with Israel and sustained peace in the Middle East, he said.
Wang added that the meeting was held in response to the strong demands of the international community.
It was also endorsed by Arab and Muslim-majority states, he said in a sideline meeting with senior officials from Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, and United Arab Emirates.
What is the Global South and how is Israel-Gaza war shaping its role?
Wang said China’s stance on the war in Gaza was “clear and firm” while “highly aligned” with the Arab and Muslim world.
“We appreciate the temporary truce agreement that Qatar and Egypt facilitated … China will cooperate closely with all sides, encourage a more proactive and effective Security Council, and be more attentive to the calls from the Arab and Muslim countries,” he told his counterparts.
The conflict was sparked when Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking some 240 hostages, according to Israel.
Israel’s retaliatory actions in the Gaza Strip have killed more than 14,000 residents and over 100 UN workers, according to the Gaza health ministry.
