President,

I thank Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo and head of the UNMHA Major General Michael Beary for their briefings.

The recent events of tension are indicative of the accelerating spillover effects of the Gaza conflict, which is a source of deep concern for China. Military means are not the way to resolve the issue and violence for violence will only lead the conflict into a vicious cycle of escalation and further complicate an already difficult situation. We call on all parties concerned to exercise calm and restraint to prevent tensions from further escalating or even spiraling out of control.

For some time now, the situation in the Middle East has continued to worsen, and the conflict has been expanding, the root cause of which is the failure to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza. To avoid an even greater catastrophe that could engulf the entire Middle East, we call upon all parties to respond to the overwhelming consensus of the international community and work together to promote an immediate ceasefire, save lives, alleviate the catastrophe, and contain the spillover of the conflict. China urges Israel to fully implement the relevant Security Council resolutions, immediately cease all military operations in Gaza, and immediately stop its collective punishment of the people of Gaza. The country with significant influence should step up its efforts to persuade and pressure the party concerned and make genuine efforts to end the fighting in Gaza.

President,

The issue of the Middle East is highly complex and sensitive with the Palestinian question at its core. The fundamental way forward is the full realization of the two-State solution. We are concerned about Israel’s continuous erosion of the foundation of the two-State solution. Recently, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion, finding that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is a violation of international law and that Israel is under the obligation to bring an end to its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible. China supports the early establishment of an independent state of Palestine, calls for the revitalization of the political horizon of the two-Sate solution, and advocates the convening of a broad-based, more authoritative, and more effective international peace conference to work out a timetable and roadmap for the two-State solution. We hope the international community will follow the guidance of the ICJ’ advisory opinion and make unremittingly for an early settlement of the Palestinian question and the realization of lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.

Thank you, President.