US needs to close ranks and demand Gaza cease-fire

The United Nations Security Council is to vote on Monday on another draft resolution on the Gaza Strip submitted by the nonpermanent members.

This draft resolution demands a permanent and sustainable cease-fire in the Gaza conflict. It requires the immediate and unconditional release of all detained persons, and the expansion of humanitarian assistance and strengthened protection of civilians, and calls for the removal of all obstacles to the large-scale provision of humanitarian assistance.

Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, said that the draft has a clear stance on a cease-fire, is in line with the correct direction of the UN Security Council's actions, and has practical significance. China therefore supports it.

On Friday, the UN Security Council voted on a draft resolution proposed by the United States on the Palestine-Israel issue. A total of 11 members were in favor of it, and Guyana abstained. Russia, China and Algeria, the only Arab country among the current UN Security Council members, voted against it.

Although the draft proposed by the US had been revised several times in the past month and contained some elements that responded to the concerns of the international community, it remained evasive on the core issue of a cease-fire. The final text of the draft did not call for an immediate cease-fire, or even provide a path to achieving a ceasefire in the short term. This obviously deviates from the consensus reached by the other UN Security Council members and is far from the expectations of the international community. An immediate cease-fire is a basic prerequisite for saving lives, expanding humanitarian access, and preventing greater conflict. Instead, the US draft set preconditions for a cease-fire.

The US draft was also unbalanced in many other aspects, especially in response to Israel's recent multiple declarations of its plan to launch a military attack on Rafah. The draft did not clearly express its opposition, and thus it would send a very wrong signal and have serious consequences.

Any action taken by the UN Security Council should withstand the test of history and moral conscience. Based on the concerns and strong dissatisfaction of Arab countries with this draft, and to uphold justice and safeguard the dignity of the UN Charter and the Security Council, China, Algeria and Russia voted against it.

China rejects the unreasonable accusations made by the US and the United Kingdom about China's voting position. If the US was serious about achieving a cease-fire in Gaza, it would not have repeatedly vetoed multiple UN Security Council resolutions; it would not have played word games, and it would not have been vague on key issues.