China urges Israel to curb illegal settlers' violence, lift restrictive measures on Palestinian economy

ISTANBUL

China on Tuesday urged Israel to curb illegal Israeli settlers' violence and lift restrictive measures on the Palestinian economy, state media reported on Wednesday.

Beijing "calls on Israel to immediately stop settlement activities in the West Bank, curb settler violence, and stop undermining the governance foundation of the Palestinian National Authority, including the prompt return of collected taxes and the lifting of restrictive measures on the Palestinian economy," Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, said during a UN Security Council open meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, according to the CGTN.

Reaching a ceasefire agreement should mean "ending all hostile actions, not just de-escalating intense conflicts into low-intensity attacks," he said, stressing the incidents violating the Gaza ceasefire agreement "occurring frequently" over the past two months.

Fu urged all relevant parties, "especially Israel," to immediately fulfill their commitments under the ceasefire agreement, "stop actions that exacerbate tensions, and promote the realization of a true, comprehensive, and durable ceasefire."

Beijing also urged Israel to "earnestly fulfill its obligations under international law, open all border crossings, lift restrictions on the access of humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip, and support the United Nations and other agencies in carrying out aid work."

The "two-state solution" and enabling Palestine to achieve independent statehood is the "only feasible way to resolve the Palestinian issue," he said, adding that "any attempt to alter Gaza's territorial and demographic structure should be firmly rejected."

"China firmly supports the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights," he said.