Chinese envoy says Gaza ceasefire has 'not brought real peace' as casualties continue

On Monday, China's top envoy to the United Nations called for efforts to restore peace and stability in Gaza, ease tensions in the West Bank, and advance the two-state solution as the Palestinian question faces mounting challenges.

Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, told a Security Council meeting on the Palestinian-Israeli issue that violence and death continue in Gaza, "tensions remain high in the West Bank", and the foundation of the two-state solution is "being steadily eroded".

"The ceasefire agreement has not brought real peace," Fu said, noting that Israeli bombardments and attacks have continued and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza remains grave.

He called on all parties concerned, Israel in particular, to fully abide by the ceasefire agreement and achieve a genuine and lasting ceasefire in Gaza.

"Israel, as the occupying power, must fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law, lift restrictions on humanitarian access, and support and ensure the work of UN agencies and other humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East," he said.

The meeting came as violence continued despite a ceasefire that has been in place since last October, with Israeli forces carrying out near-daily strikes in Gaza. A total of 1,045 Palestinians have been killed in near-daily Israeli strikes since the ceasefire took hold, according to health officials in Gaza.

The meeting also came after the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel — an independent UN inquiry — released a report last week examining the impact of the conflict on Palestinian children.

According to the report, at least 20,179 children were killed and 44,143 children were injured as a direct result of hostilities in Gaza between Oct 7, 2023 and Oct 7, 2025, accounting for 30 percent of those killed and 26 percent of those injured during the period. Israel has rejected the commission's findings.

Commenting on the situation in the West Bank, Fu said settlement expansion, settler violence, and economic restrictions have continued to undermine Palestinian rights and regional stability.

He urged Israel to "immediately stop settlement activities, curb settler violence, ensure accountability for attacks, remove unreasonable restrictions on the West Bank economy, return Palestinian clearance revenues as soon as possible, and stop undermining the governance foundation of the Palestinian National Authority".

"The two-state solution is the only viable way to resolve the Palestinian question and must not be denied or replaced," he said.

Gaza and the West Bank are both inseparable parts of the State of Palestine, Fu said, stressing that any arrangement or new mechanism must uphold the principle of "Palestinians governing Palestine", respect the will of the Palestinian people, and promote rather than undermine the two-state solution.

He called on the international community to build a consensus, reject any attempt to alter the demographic and territorial structure of Palestine, oppose unilateral actions that undermine the two-state solution, and support the early establishment of an independent State of Palestine enjoying full sovereignty, based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

"The path to peace is right under our feet," Fu said. "What is needed is political will and courage."