New Delhi: China on Thursday called on Palestine and Israel to maintain restraint and immediately end the hostilities to protect civilians and avoid further deterioration of the situation. China is deeply concerned over the current escalation of tensions and violence between Palestine and Israel, and calls on relevant parties to remain calm, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in response to questions on the fierce conflicts between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip resulting in massive casualties on both sides.
“The recurrence of the conflict shows once again that the protracted standstill of the peace process cannot go on. The fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine”, the spokesperson said. Hamas on Saturday launched a wave of rocket attacks on Saturday, killing over 200 people in Israel. Israel has responded with a wave of air strikes on Gaza, killing more than 300 people, according to reports.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the international community needs to act with greater urgency, step up input into the Palestine question, facilitate the early resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel, and find a way to bring about enduring peace. China will continue to work relentlessly with the international community towards that end. It is pertinent to note that China this year has stepped up its diplomacy in the Middle East and brokered a surprise deal between arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran in March to end their hostilities and restore diplomatic ties.
The Beijing-brokered agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia came after a bitter rivalry between the two influential Middle Eastern countries, which had destabilised several countries in the region, including Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Bahrain. Meanwhile, PM Modi expressed solidarity with Israel and said, “Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour”.
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In response to PM Modi’s statement, Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon said, “Thank you @PMOIndia. India’s moral support is much appreciated. Israell will prevail”. Tel Aviv thanks India after 'India is with Israel' trends on social media amid Hamas attacks. Israel will stop supplying electricity, fuel and goods to Gaza, according to a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Saturday night. Netanyahu also said the “first phase” of the counter-operation had ended, and that Israel had fought off most Hamas militants.
He vowed to continue the offensive “without reservation and respite”. The announcement came after a surprise attack by Hamas militants into Israel on Saturday morning. South Africa has also expressed its grave concern over the recent devastating escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“The new conflagration has arisen from the continued illegal occupation of Palestine land, continued settlement expansion, desecration of the Al Aqsa Mosque and Christian holy sites, and ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people. The region is in desperate need of a credible peace process that delivers on the calls of a plethora of previous UN resolutions for a two-state solution and a just and comprehensive peace between Israel and Palestine”, a statement from the South African govt said.
It noted that South Africa, working together with the international community, seeks to ensure a lasting and durable peace that produces a viable, contiguous Palestinian State, existing side-by-side in peace with Israel, within 1967 internationally recognised borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
“UN resolutions and international law matter. The international community cannot avoid its duty to act, and together, we must shoulder the responsibility to remove obstacles to peace and any violations of international law. Violence, killings, imprisonment, forced removals, illegal settlements, and the continued siege of Gaza are not conducive to resolving the conflict. Urgent attention must be given to resolving the final status issues such as borders, the status of Jerusalem, the release of political prisoners, and the right of return”, it said.
South Africa therefore called on all sides to seize the opportunity for peace as opposed to violence, and for the international community to actively rise on the side of its international resolutions and establish a credible peace process.
