New York Declaration needs to be translated into tangible results: China Daily editorial

China has consistently pointed out that without Middle East peace, the world will not be stable, and that the Palestinian question has always been at the heart of the Middle East turmoil. It is thus a positive development that the United Nations has set out an action-oriented pathway toward a peaceful settlement of the Israel-Palestine conflict and the realization of the "two-state solution", which is the only way to resolve the long-running conflict.

The UN General Assembly on Friday adopted a draft resolution endorsing the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. That the draft resolution was passed by 142 votes in favor, 10 against, and 12 abstentions speaks volumes about the international community's will on how the Palestinian question should be settled.

The declaration is the outcome of an international conference held in July at the UN Headquarters in New York, organized by France and Saudi Arabia, which resumes later this month.

Presented in great detail, the declaration and the addendum to it show how it is envisioned that the Palestinian State under the leadership of the Palestinian Authority should be established, how Gaza should be reconstructed, and how a unified Palestinian State should maintain neighborly relations with Israel.

France and Saudi Arabia and the cochairs of the conference's working groups should now work on making concrete steps toward realizing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the release of all hostages, the return of Palestinian prisoners, the delivery of aid at scale throughout the Gaza Strip in coordination with the UN, and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2735.

As stated in the declaration, Gaza as an integral part of the Palestinian State must be reunified with the West Bank, and the governance, law enforcement and security in all Palestinian territories lie solely with the Palestinian Authority, with appropriate international support.

The declaration calls for the Palestinian Authority to be supported, including through the necessary disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of the members of Hamas and other Palestinian factions, within an agreed mechanism and timeline with international partners.

But, however detailed the measures the declaration has mapped out, it is an unbinding document whose implementation requires the cooperation of Israel, Hamas and other stakeholders.

To put it into effect requires the international community to make concerted efforts to implement the declaration. Most urgently, diplomatic endeavors should be made by relevant UN authorities and other major countries to persuade Israel to open the crossings to Gaza and make sure that humanitarian aid can reach those Palestinian people in desperate need of food and daily necessities.

The mediation efforts of Egypt, Qatar and the United States should continue with the aim of bringing about an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and then bringing Hamas and Israel to the negotiation table for a deal on the release of all hostages and the return of Palestinian prisoners.

It should go without saying that nothing can be done regarding the establishment of a unified Palestinian State without a ceasefire in Gaza, which along with humanitarian assistance for the people in the enclave, is the top priority.

Both Israel and all Palestinian organizations should be persuaded that continuing their attacks on each other is a vicious cycle that will hinder the realization of lasting peace and prosperity for both the Israeli and Palestinian people as well as the harmonious development of the Middle East.

It is wishful thinking for the Israeli or Palestinian side to believe that it can eradicate the other. Peaceful coexistence as two neighboring countries is the sole solution to the Palestinian question.

China has long supported the "two-state solution" and maintained that the establishment of a unified Palestinian State is necessary for the permanent settlement of the Palestinian question and the realization of lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

With more countries, those in Europe in particular, pledging to recognize a Palestinian State, the major countries should intensify their diplomatic efforts to do whatever they can for the "two-state solution" to materialize.