China says two-state solution needed for Israel, Palestine
China said the latest escalation of violence after Hamas attacked Israel showed a long-term stagnation of the peace process is “unsustainable”.
China said the latest escalation of violence after Hamas attacked Israel showed a long-term stagnation of the peace process is “unsustainable,” as it reiterated support for an independent Palestinian state.
“All parties” should act with restraint and cease fire immediately to prevent further deterioration, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement Sunday. A fundamental way to stem the recurrence of conflict between Palestine and Israel is a “two-state solution,” according to the statement. Follow Live updates
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared his country is “at war” after Gaza Strip militants fired over 3,000 missiles and infiltrated its southern parts early Saturday. Hundreds have been killed on both sides. Peace talks around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been stalled since 2014.
“The international community should increase its sense of urgency, increase investment in the Palestinian issue, promote the early resumption of peace talks between Palestine and Israel, and seek a path to lasting peace,” the Chinese foreign ministry said. “China will continue to work with the international community to make unremitting efforts to this end.”
China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has been increasingly vocal on Israeli-Palestinian issues as it tries to raise its presence in the Middle East. In June, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas visited China and met President Xi Jinping, who proposed an international peace conference on the conflict.
The two-state solution
The two-state solution was proposed by the Peel Commission, which was formed by Britishers in 1937. The United Nations proposed the solution of Israel and Palestine becoming two separate independent states and coexisting in harmony in 1947.
However, over the years, it was never materialised.
