China urges Palestinian issue not to be 'pushed to the margins'

China on Tuesday urged that the Palestinian issue must not be “pushed to the margins under any circumstances.”

Chinese UN envoy Fu Cong told a UN Security Council meeting that the Palestinian question “is, and always will be, the core of the Middle East issue.”

Addressing developments in the Middle East, he said the situation has escalated “dramatically” in recent months, with widespread consequences severely disrupting regional stability and affecting the global economy and energy security.

China urged all parties to “seize the window of peace,” exercise maximum restraint, show sincerity and remain committed to a political settlement to avoid reversing progress in ceasefire negotiations and restore stability in the Middle East and Gulf region.

He said the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories continues to deteriorate, warning that the foundations of a two-state solution risk being “completely hollowed out,” while adding that turmoil and war are “not the fate” of the Palestinian people.

Fu called on the international community to act with “the greatest sense of urgency” to reverse the “negative trajectory” and address what he described as the historic injustice faced by Palestine.

He outlined three priorities: immediately ending the suffering of Palestinian civilians, halting settlement activities and supporting the two-state solution, which he described as “non-negotiable.”

Fu said China calls on all concerned parties, especially Israel, to fully abide by ceasefire agreements to ensure a comprehensive and durable ceasefire in Gaza and fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law by dismantling all barriers to humanitarian access.

Israel has not implemented its obligations under the ceasefire agreement in place since Oct. 10, 2025, including opening crossings and allowing agreed quantities of food, relief supplies, medical aid and shelter materials into Gaza.

It has also continued violations through shelling and gunfire that have killed 818 Palestinians and injured 2,301 others since the ceasefire, according to Health Ministry data.

The truce was reached after two years of Israeli genocide in Gaza that began on Oct. 8, 2023, killing at least 72,600 Palestinians, injuring more than 172,400 and causing massive destruction affecting about 90% of civilian infrastructure.