China urges restraint on Middle East at UN

China's permanent representative to the United Nations said the Middle East is at a "critical stage of transition from war to peace", as fresh violence in Gaza and Lebanon and a widening energy shock underscored the fragility of the situation.

Addressing a high-level UN Security Council debate, Ambassador Fu Cong said the region has "escalated dramatically with widespread consequences, gravely disrupting regional stability and affecting the global economy and energy security".

His remarks came as violence continued on multiple fronts. Israeli strikes in Gaza killed civilians on Tuesday, including a child, according to Reuters.

At the same time, the broader regional conflict is increasingly affecting global markets.

In a report released on Tuesday, the World Bank warned that disruptions linked to the Middle East war could drive a 24 percent surge in energy prices in 2026.

"China urges all parties to seize this window of peace, exercise utmost restraint, demonstrate maximum sincerity, and remain steadfast in the direction of a political settlement to prevent any retrogression in the momentum of the ceasefire and negotiations," he said.

He said the Palestinian issue remains central and "must not be marginalized under any circumstances", adding that the conflict persists because "the two-State solution is only half-realized".

Despite a reduction in large-scale fighting, Fu said "the Palestinian people are still forced to keep company with death and suffering", while "the foundation of the two-State solution risks being completely hollowed out".

Developments on the ground appear to reinforce that concern. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in an April 23 report that conditions in Gaza remain dire, with ongoing strikes and restricted access hampering relief efforts.

Turning to Gaza, Fu said: "Gaza is not a permanent battlefield, and the suffering of its civilians must cease immediately."

He added that "the most pressing task remains cementing the ceasefire and scaling up aid", describing conditions marked by "scarcity of essential supplies … and a medical system teetering on the precipice of total collapse".

China called on Israel to "fully abide by the ceasefire agreement to ensure a comprehensive and durable ceasefire throughout Gaza", and urged it to "dismantle all barriers to humanitarian access".

Fu also criticized Israeli settlement expansion, saying "settlement activities are unacceptable", warning they "contravene international law and Security Council resolutions".

Addressing the future of the peace process, Fu underscored that "the two-State solution is non-negotiable", calling it "the only viable pathway to resolving the Palestinian question". He warned that "any unilateral action that erodes its foundation must be firmly rejected".

He urged support for Palestinian statehood, calling for "the early establishment of a fully sovereign and independent state of Palestine based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital".

Concluding, Fu said China stands ready to work with the international community "to bring an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people, implement the two-State solution, and achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting solution … at an early date".