On the 5th local time, the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly held a meeting for the second consecutive day on the United States' veto of the Security Council draft resolution on Gaza on February 20. Geng Shuang, China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said at the meeting that China is deeply disappointed that the Security Council's call for a ceasefire has been forcibly blocked by the United States for the fourth time since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict nearly five months ago.
Geng Shuang pointed out that the results of the UN Security Council's vote clearly show that the overwhelming majority of the UN Council members are unanimous on the issue of the Gaza ceasefire, while the United States has exclusively abused its veto power and stifled the consensus of the Security Council. This has aroused widespread dissatisfaction in the international community.
Geng Shuang said that an immediate ceasefire in Gaza is the need to save innocent civilians, the prerequisite for humanitarian relief, and the key to avoiding further escalation and spread of the conflict. With Ramadan just around the corner, the international community must push for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the conflict with the greatest sense of urgency and political resolve to preserve hope for the people of Gaza. China urges Israel to immediately change course, cancel its offensive plan against Rafah, stop its military offensive against Gaza, and stop the forced relocation and collective punishment of the Palestinian people. China calls on relevant countries to abandon geostrategic considerations and domestic political calculations, truly uphold a fair and responsible attitude, make the right choice and play a constructive role in promoting a ceasefire in Gaza.
Geng Shuang said that China urges Israel, as the occupying power, to fulfill its obligations under international law, ensure safe, rapid and unimpeded access to sufficient humanitarian supplies, and take concrete measures to ensure the safety of humanitarian institutions and personnel, and provide necessary facilitation for their rescue efforts.
Geng Shuang stressed that the "two-state solution" is the only feasible way out of the Palestinian-Israeli issue. It is shocking that some Israeli politicians have recently publicly rejected the two-state solution and any international effort to achieve the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. China urges Israel to stop denigrating the two-state solution, to stop eroding the foundations of the two-state solution and to stop promoting illegal settlement activities. China calls for intensifying international and regional diplomatic efforts, rebuilding a credible multilateral process, revitalizing the political prospects of the two-state solution, and resuming direct Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. China proposes to convene an international peace conference on a larger scale, on a larger scale and with more effectiveness. China supports Palestine in becoming a full Member of the United Nations as soon as possible.
Geng Shuang said that China will continue to work with the international community to make unremitting efforts to quell the fighting in Gaza at an early date, alleviate the humanitarian disaster, implement the two-state solution, and achieve long-term peace and stability in the Middle East.
*: China**Net.