China Proposes ‘Three Musts’ at UN Security Council on Palestine

China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong, presented a “Three Musts” framework at an emergency public session of the UN Security Council on the Palestine-Israel issue on August 11, urging the international community to take immediate action to curb escalating violence and address the root causes of the crisis. The proposal, delivered amid deteriorating conditions in both Gaza and the West Bank, calls for addressing fundamental issues, taking decisive action against conflict violence, and revitalizing the two-state solution.

A Worsening Crisis

Fu expressed deep concern over the escalating situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, noting that “in the context of escalating regional instability, the Palestinian issue cannot be ignored or marginalized.” According to Xinhua News, he emphasized that the international community “should take rapid action to fully curb conflict violence, save innocent lives, and uphold fairness and justice.”

The Chinese envoy identified the fundamental problem as the failure to observe basic principles of international law, stating that “the Palestinian people’s rights to survival and development have long been disregarded.” The situation has deteriorated sharply in recent months, with dangerous escalation in the West Bank including settlement expansion, attacks on religious sites, blockade of refugee camps, and mass arrests. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) training center was reportedly forcibly entered on two occasions.

The Three Musts

In his address, Fu outlined China’s three-pronged approach. The first must is to address root causes by respecting the basic rights of the Palestinian people and correcting wrong statements and actions that deny or violate their legitimate rights. The second must calls for decisive action to stop conflict violence, including Israeli settlement activities, settler violence, and military operations in Gaza. The third must anchors the direction by revitalizing the political prospects of the two-state solution.

According to the official statement from China’s UN Mission, Fu stressed that “protecting civilians is not an empty slogan, but the international law obligation of the occupying power.” He called on Israel to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2334, stop settlement activities, curb settler violence, and ensure serious accountability.

Ceasefire Stalemate

A central concern raised by Fu was the stalled ceasefire in Gaza. The ceasefire agreement has been in place for 300 days, yet a permanent ceasefire has not been achieved. “The fundamental problem is not the lack of a ceasefire plan, but the lack of political will for a ceasefire,” Fu said, as reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Despite the Peace Committee announcing progress on the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, Israel has continued military operations in Gaza. The US-established Peace Committee, announced in January 2026 to oversee Gaza’s post-war transitional governance, has struggled with funding and participation challenges, with several Western allies publicly declining to join.

Two-State Solution as the Only Path

Fu reaffirmed that the two-state solution “is the only viable path recognized by the international community to resolve the Palestinian issue,” adding that “any hesitation, doubt, or wavering is unacceptable.” He emphasized that Gaza and the West Bank are both inseparable parts of the Palestinian state and called for Israel to end its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and stop undermining the governance foundation of the Palestinian Authority.

The envoy also stressed the principle of “Palestinian-led” reconstruction in Gaza, urging the international community to fully respect the will of the Palestinian people and achieve an independent Palestinian state.

Building on Previous Positions

The “Three Musts” represents a refinement of China’s diplomatic approach to the crisis. In August 2025, at a similar emergency session following Israel’s security cabinet approval of a plan to take over Gaza City, Fu had proposed “four musts” including firmly opposing any attempt to occupy Gaza and abandoning the fallacy of military supremacy, as reported at the time. The 2026 framework consolidates and sharpens China’s position, focusing on normative, operational, and strategic dimensions.

Regional Dynamics and Outlook

The emergency session comes amid broader regional shifts, including the recent joint defense agreement signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan in Mecca on August 7, which has raised concerns in Israel. The background reporting on the ceasefire impasse highlights the fundamental disagreement over sequencing: Israel demands full demilitarization of Gaza before withdrawing forces, while Hamas conditions weapons handover on Israeli withdrawal.

Fu concluded by affirming that China “has always stood on the side of peace, justice, and conscience on the Palestinian issue,” pledging continued support for the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights and efforts to bring stability back to the region. As the international community watches whether the “Three Musts” can gain traction among Security Council members, the fundamental question remains whether political will can be mustered to break the current stalemate and move toward a lasting resolution.