China calls for ‘comprehensive, effective implementation’ of UNSC resolutions for Gaza cease-fire

(Global Times) -- The UN Security Council (UNSC) on Monday local time adopted a resolution aimed at reaching a comprehensive cease-fire deal drafted by the US in three phases to end the war in Gaza, with China, which voted in favor, calling for all UNSC resolutions to be implemented in a comprehensive and effective manner while expressing concern that the US-drafted text is still ambiguous in a number of aspects.

Protesters gather at Union Square in New York City to demonstrate against Israel’s ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and express solidarity with Palestinians. Demonstrators chanted “Gaza! Gaza!” as they flooded the subway station near Union Square.

Chinese analysts said on Tuesday that although the US claimed that Israel has accepted the deal and Palestinian group Hamas also said it accepts the deal and is ready to negotiate on details, to what extent the resolution can be implemented is still in question, as the conflicting parties lack mutual trust. If there are further incidents or disagreements during the three phases of the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, the conflict will continue, so the US-drafted deal is fragile. China will play a role for peace and will make full efforts to mediate the crisis. 
Adopted by a large majority with 14 votes in favour and Russia abstaining, Resolution 2735 also urges both parties to the conflict to fully implement the terms of the proposal “without delay and without condition,” the Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.
The US-drafted text calls for Hamas to accept a cease-fire proposal announced on  May 31 by US President Joe Biden that has “already been accepted by Israel.” Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters on Tuesday that Hamas accepts the deal, stressing that it was up to Washington to ensure that Israel abides by it.
“The draft is still ambiguous in quite a number of aspects. We still have valid concerns about whether the parties concerned will accept the cease-fire proposal and whether the transitions among the three phases can be carried out smoothly,” Chinese Ambassador to the UN Fu Cong said in his explanation of China’s vote for the resolution at the UNSC meeting on Monday, according to the website of China’s permanent mission to the UN.
“The immediate realisation of a permanent cease-fire has been the strong appeal of China and other council members for months. And this has been the most desperate aspiration of Gaza civilians in deep sufferings. From the perspective of the urgent need to stop more killing and to alleviate humanitarian catastrophe, China voted in favor of the draft resolution,” Fu remarked.
“All council resolutions are legally binding. The resolution just adopted is equally binding as Council Resolutions 2712, 2720 and 2728. All of them should be implemented in a comprehensive and effective manner. We hope that the sponsor will work sincerely in an impartial and responsible manner to push for the immediate realisation of a permanent cease-fire,” Fu said at the UNSC meeting. “China will work with all parties to push for an early cease-fire in Gaza and bring the Palestinian-Israeli issue back to the right track of the two-State solution as early as possible.”
Although the resolution has been adopted, some countries are still concerned. Russian Ambassador and Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia said, “We have a whole of host of questions about the American draft resolution, whereby the Council welcomes some deal - the ultimate outlines of which are not known to anyone perhaps except the mediators.”

(Latest Update June 12, 2024)