Two-state solution requisite for Middle East stability

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation adopted an Arab League counter-proposal to US President Donald Trump's plan to take over Gaza and displace its residents calling on the international community to support the regional initiative.

The decision by the 57-member grouping came at an emergency meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, three days after the Arab League ratified the plan at a summit in Cairo. The Egyptian-crafted alternative to Trump's widely-condemned takeover proposes to rebuild the Gaza Strip under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty welcomed the OIC endorsement and said he now hoped to gain support from the wider international community, including the United States. "The next step is for the plan to become an international plan through adoption by the European Union and international parties such as Japan, Russia, China and others," Abdelatty said.

China supports the Gaza peace restoration plan jointly initiated by Egypt and Arab countries and supported by the OIC, and welcomes all pro-peace efforts to resolve the Gaza crisis under the framework of the two-state solution.

If major powers really care about the people of Gaza, they should promote a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, increase humanitarian assistance, adhere to the principle of "Palestinians governing Palestine", and contribute to the reconstruction of Gaza.

As Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in his meeting with the media in Beijing on Friday, Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people and is an integral part of the Palestinian territory. Any act of forcibly changing the status of Gaza will not bring peace, but will only trigger fresh turmoil.

The Palestinian issue has always been the core of the Middle East crisis. As Wang urged, the focus of the international community's efforts in the next stage should be more focused on the two-state solution and giving more support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Only in this way can the Palestinians and Israelis coexist peacefully.

To this end, the Palestinian factions must first implement the 2024 Beijing Declaration and achieve unity and self-reliance; all parties in the Middle East must transcend differences and support the establishment of a Palestinian state; the international community must build consensus and provide assistance for the fostering of peace between the Palestinians and Israelis. The newly-proposed Gaza peace restoration plan represents the latest efforts of the international community in that direction.

China is a strategic partner of the Middle East countries and a partner of both the Arab League and the OIC. China will continue to firmly fight for justice, peace and development for the people of the Middle East and support Middle East countries independently grasping their future and destiny following their own development paths.

GUANCHA.CN