China Urges Israel To Halt West Bank Settlements, Reaffirms Support For Palestinian Statehood

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged Israel to stop and reverse the “forced establishment” of settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to a statement from China’s foreign ministry on Friday, October 16.

Wang made the remarks during a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Azerbaijan, where the two discussed bilateral relations and the situation in the Middle East.

Wang said China regarded the Palestinian question as “the greatest historical injustice of this century” and reiterated Beijing’s support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He also called for full access to the Gaza Strip to prevent the humanitarian crisis from worsening and said China was willing to work with the international community to encourage dialogue and a political settlement.

China Calls For Halt To Settlement Expansion

The West Bank has been under Israeli occupation since the 1967 Middle East war. Israeli settlements there are considered illegal under international law by the United Nations and the International Court of Justice, a position Israel disputes.

Settlement expansion has remained a major obstacle to peace efforts, with Palestinians arguing that the growth of settlements undermines the territorial basis of a future independent state.

China has repeatedly called on Israel to halt settlement activity and curb settler violence. In remarks to the United Nations Security Council in September, Beijing said settlement expansion and actions that alter the territory or demographic composition of the occupied Palestinian territory undermine the prospects for Palestinian statehood. It urged Israel to stop its settlement policy and take measures to ensure accountability for attacks against Palestinians.

Beijing Reiterates Support For Palestinian Statehood

Wang said the two-state solution remained the appropriate path towards resolving the conflict. The proposal envisages an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

China has called for renewed international efforts to advance a political settlement and has consistently supported Palestinian statehood based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

The meeting took place as Beijing seeks to play a more active diplomatic role in the Middle East. China maintains ties with both Israel and several Arab countries and has repeatedly advocated dialogue to resolve regional conflicts.

Herzog said in a post on X that his meeting with Wang focused on bilateral relations and the situation in the Middle East. Herzog’s office did not comment when asked about the discussion on West Bank settlements or the Palestinian issue.

China’s latest remarks underline the continuing international dispute over Israeli settlement activity and the future of the occupied Palestinian territories.

The issue remains central to efforts to revive a two-state solution, amid concerns that continued expansion could further weaken prospects for a negotiated settlement.