Beijing, The Indonesia Post – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Israel has the right to be a country, but Palestine also has the right to receive similar treatment.
“Israeli citizens have received protection to survive, but who cares about the survival of the Palestinian people? The Jewish people no longer have a homeland, but when will the Palestinians return to their territory?” Wang said in Beijing in a written statement received by ANTARA on Saturday.
Wang conveyed this in a joint statement with the European Union’s Chief Diplomat for Foreign Policy and Security Josep Borrell after the two chaired the China-EU High-Level Strategic Dialogue in Beijing.
“There are many injustices occurring in the world, but injustice against Palestine has been going on for more than half a century. The suffering that has plagued generations must not continue,” Wang added.
According to Wang, the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is how Palestine and Israel can live side by side peacefully and how Arabs and Jews live in harmony.
Wang also highlighted four priorities that China considers urgent.
“First, stop the conflict as soon as possible, prevent the expansion of the conflict and avoid worsening the situation,” said Wang.
Second, Wang said it was very important to comply with international humanitarian law, make every effort to ensure the safety of civilians and open rescue routes and humanitarian assistance as quickly as possible.
“The goal is to prevent a severe humanitarian disaster,” Wang added.
Third, relevant countries must exercise restraint, take an objective and fair stance, strive to defuse conflicts and avoid greater regional and international security impacts.
“Fourth, the UN must play its role in resolving the Palestinian issue. The UN Security Council needs to take important responsibility in this regard, build international consensus as quickly as possible and take concrete actions to achieve the goal,” Wang added.
Wang also revealed that China is communicating with related parties.
“China will actively participate in emergency consultations in the UN Security Council and support UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ call to protect civilians. China will provide emergency humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian National Authority through the UN,” said Wang.
The conflict between Israel and Palestine broke out after Hamas attacked Israel with at least 5,000 rockets in just 20 minutes on October 7 2023 morning local time.
Israel then declared war on Hamas and carried out air retaliation attacks on the Gaza Strip. This is Israel’s first declaration of war in 50 years since the Yom Kippur War in 1973.
Last Thursday the Israeli Air Force (IAF) admitted that it had dropped around 6,000 bombs targeting Hamas in Gaza. This number almost equals the total bombs used by the United States in Afghanistan in one year.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health put the number of Palestinian deaths at 1,843 in the Gaza Strip and 44 people died in the West Bank, while 7,138 others were injured. (mhn/bbs)
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