Brief window of opportunity to push for cease-fire and talks mustn't be squandered: China Daily editorial

Israel and Hamas reached an agreement on Tuesday for the release of at least 50 women and children currently being held hostage by Hamas in exchange for a pause in the fighting and the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners being held by Israel.

The deal, which offers a small ray of hope that a more substantial cease-fire can be secured, was approved by Israel's Cabinet during a tense, six-hour late-night session, according to Israeli media. Hostages could start to be released as soon as Thursday, barring an Israeli Supreme Court challenge, which is widely viewed as being highly unlikely.

The pause is a positive outcome of the international efforts to end the conflict that has claimed more than 14,000 lives since it erupted on Oct 7. It provides the two sides with a respite from the fighting and an opportunity to realize that the conflict has only made an already bad situation worse, for both parties. The hard-earned pause also creates a window of opportunity for the international community to redouble efforts to get the two sides to agree to a cease-fire and a return to dialogue.

China has been making dedicated efforts to that effect as it is the only way to break the vicious cycle of violence that has held the Israelis and Palestinians in a relentless grip after previous peace initiatives were sabotaged by hard-liners on both sides. China's latest moves in this regard include not only Foreign Minister Wang Yi's meeting with a delegation of Arab-Islamic countries' foreign ministers in Beijing over the past two days, but also President Xi Jinping's participation, via video link, in the extraordinary joint meeting of BRICS leaders and invited leaders to discuss the situation in the Middle East, and in particular what was happening in Gaza, on Tuesday.

In his address to the meeting, President Xi urged the parties to the conflict to end their hostilities, stop all attacks against civilians, release the civilians held captive, and act to prevent any more loss of life. He also called for the humanitarian corridors to be kept secure and unimpeded, and for the collective punishment of people in Gaza, in the form of forced transfer or water, electricity and fuel deprivation, to stop.

The conflict should have made it palpably clear to Israel that it will not be able to enjoy peace and security without a just solution to the Palestinian question. Likewise, it should be evident to all members of the international community that working for a solution to the question of Palestine that is comprehensive, just and sustainable is imperative. 

There can be no sustainable peace and security in the Middle East without the establishment of an independent State of Palestine. China's calls for early convening of an international peace conference should be echoed by the major countries that have influence on either party to the conflict. The two-state solution is the only viable way to end the cycle of violence and set the Middle East on the path to peace and stability.