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Remarks by Ambassador Geng Shuang at the UN Security Council Briefing on the Situation in the Middle East, Including the Palestinian Question

2024-09-19 22:05

President, 

I thank Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland and Ms. Helen Clark for their briefings.

Yesterday, the General Assembly Emergency Special Session overwhelmingly adopted a draft resolution tabled by the State of Palestine demanding the implementation of the ICJ advisory opinion. At this critical juncture when the world is grappling with the prolonged Gaza conflict and complex and intractable situation in the Middle East, the adoption of the resolution is a historic landmark.

The resolution demands Israel to end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Independent statehood is an inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people, but the prolonged illegal occupation prevents the Palestinian people from realizing national self-determination and gives Israel an exclusive veto over Palestinian statehood. Occupation will not make Israel more secure, but would only breed more hatred and antagonism and perpetuate a vicious cycle of violent clashes between Palestinians and Israelis. Only an end to the occupation and the establishment of independent state to Palestine will lead to the peaceful coexistence of Palestine and Israel and lasting peace and security in the Middle East.

The resolution urges all parties to stop arming Israel in its maintenance of the occupation. Military means is not a solution to the problem. Tit for tat violence would only exacerbate hatred. The conflict has cost the lives of many Palestinian and Israeli civilians in several decades, with the bloodshed and carnage continuing today. To tackle the question of Palestine needs political will and diplomatic efforts, not an endless stream of arms and ammunition and violent conflicts. All peace-loving nations should respond to the calls of the resolution and work towards that end.

The resolution reaffirms that international rule of law must be upheld. International law is the cornerstone of the international order and international norms that must be respected by all parties. There is no exception to the fulfillment of obligations under international law. All states are equal before international law. Any double standard or selective applications are unacceptable. As a member of the international community and a UN member state, Israel must fulfill its legal obligations, implement the relevant Security Council resolutions, and comply with international law, in particular, international humanitarian law. 

The resolution calls for the accelerated implementation of the two-State solution. Past decades saw Israel’s continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank, encroaching on Palestinian territory and squeezing the space and viability of Palestine as a state. Israel’s actions continue to erode the foundation of the two-State solution and increasingly reveal its rejection of and resistance to the two-State solution. The international community must act with the uttermost urgency to revitalize the prospects of the two-State solution. China supports the proposal in the GA resolution to hold an international peace conference under the auspicious of the GA to discuss the implementation of relevant resolutions and the two-State solution.

President, 

The GA resolution adopted yesterday embodies the broad consensus of the international community in promoting the resolution of the question of Palestine. It testifies to the resolve of the international community to uphold justice and realize peace in the Middle East. The Security Council should heed the calls of the international community and respond effectively. Regrettably, due to the negative attitude of one individual country, the Security Council has long been unable to take strong actions to resolve the Palestinian question, let alone to stop the almost one-year-old Gaza conflict. 

More than three months ago, when pushing for the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2735, the US claimed that Israel had accepted the ceasefire deal, but facts seem otherwise. For more than three months, we have borne witness instead to the constantly intensifying Israeli military operations, mounting number of conditions for negotiations, and escalating provocations. Not a single moment should be wasted in the quest for a lasting ceasefire and easing of humanitarian catastrophe, but the US instead has repeatedly asked for more time and patience for diplomatic efforts. In the meantime, the Gazan civilians are paying for the time and patience with their lives and suffering. How come the time and patience needed by the US are so costly?

The spillover effect of the continued fighting in Gaza is manifesting itself at a greater pace. Lebanon and Israel are on the verge of all-out conflicts, imperiling peace and stability of the entire Middle East. China urges Israel to abandon its obsession with the use of force and its illusion of seeking a complete military victory, immediately end its military operations in Gaza, cease infringements on Lebanon’s sovereignty and security, and stop any risk-taking that might plunge the region into another catastrophe. We support the Security Council in using all available options in its toolbox to promote the implementation of resolutions and taking further actions to put an early end to the conflict, mitigate humanitarian catastrophe, and realize peace in the Middle East at an early date.

Thank you, President.

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