In a recent press conference held during the Palestine summit in Egypt, China’s Special Envoy on the Middle East issue, Zhai Jun, expressed deep concern over the escalating crisis in Palestine. Tens of thousands of casualties and hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals have underscored the critical situation.
Zhai Jun conveyed China’s sorrow at the high number of civilian casualties and the deteriorating humanitarian conditions arising from the conflict. The Special Envoy highlighted China’s opposition and condemnation of any acts that harm civilians or violate international law.
He urged all parties involved to exercise restraint, emphasizing the need to prevent further escalation and the potential for a more severe humanitarian disaster. Zhai Jun stressed the immediate necessity for the conflicting parties to establish a ceasefire, adhere to international humanitarian law, ensure civilian safety, and create the conditions for de-escalation and humanitarian relief.
Furthermore, Zhai called upon the international community to maintain objectivity and fairness, promote de-escalation, open humanitarian relief channels promptly, and minimize any potential impacts on regional and international security.
The situation in the region remains dire, with Israeli airstrikes targeting the Gaza Strip while the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) continues to launch rockets at Israel. The Rafah crossing, the only border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, allowed a limited number of trucks transporting humanitarian aid, which falls short of the region’s needs.
Zhai Jun emphasized that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is rooted in the prolonged denial of the Palestinian people’s right to establish their own state, continuous violations of their right to survival, and disregard for their right of return. He asserted that these injustices cannot persist indefinitely and that a just and lasting solution is necessary for lasting peace and universal security in the Middle East.
The envoy reiterated the importance of a “two-state solution” as the fundamental resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian peace, wherein an independent Palestinian state coexists peacefully with Israel. He noted that recent years have witnessed deviations from this path and a lack of effective implementation of UN Security Council resolutions.
China’s stance on the Palestinian issue, as highlighted by Zhai Jun, is unwavering. The country supports the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights and backs the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital and full sovereignty.
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