West Bankupdated 2h ago2 min read
Wang Yi Tells Isaac Herzog China Urges Israel To Halt West Bank Settlements
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Wang Yi told Herzog to stop and reverse the forced establishment of West Bank settlements. China urged full opening of Gaza access routes to prevent humanitarian disaster.
9 outlets told this the same way.
Al Jazeera was read line by line by the Watchdog: 1.1. See the score →
Wang tells Herzog to reverse
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Azerbaijan that Israel should stop and reverse its “forced establishment” of West Bank settlements, China’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday. Wang told Herzog that China regards the Palestinian issue as the greatest historical injustice of this century, and he said the “two-state solution” is the right path to a resolution.
Wang added that the immediate priority is to fully open access to the Gaza Strip so a humanitarian “catastrophe” is not allowed to spread. Wang said China is willing to work with the international community to push all parties to return to dialogue and consultation as soon as possible and seek a political settlement of the conflict.
Peace, reconciliation, and dialogue
Wang told Herzog that strengthening peace and reconciliation in the region is the “cornerstone” of China's policy toward the Middle East. Wang said China believes that a two-state solution is the right path to reach a settlement, with the urgent priority of ensuring full access to the Gaza Strip to prevent the outbreak of a humanitarian catastrophe.
Wang urged Israel to stop the forced construction of settlements in the West Bank and to reverse it, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement. Wang said China is ready to work with the international community to urge all parties to return to dialogue and consultation as soon as possible and to pursue a political settlement of the conflict.
Herzog response and stakes
Herzog said Israel firmly adheres to the one-China policy and hoped to advance friendly ties with China, including cooperation in science and technology, investment and people-to-people exchanges. Herzog said Israel hopes for peace but faces threats and challenges to its national security that require a strong response, while he praised China’s efforts to promote regional peace and stability.
Wang’s remarks placed the West Bank settlement issue alongside a demand for full opening of access routes into Gaza, with both sides discussing the Seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia in Baku. The Chinese foreign ministry framed the Palestinian question as the greatest historical injustice of this century and pressed for a political settlement, while the statement also emphasized preventing a humanitarian “catastrophe” from spreading.