UNITED NATIONS, November 29. /TASS/. It is impossible to restore peace in the Middle East unless Palestine’s right to statehood is respected, so any agreements with Israel aimed at resolving the conflict should take the Palestinians’ interests into account, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.

"The justice of the Palestinian issue is that the two-state solution is irreplaceable. Only if it is respected in full can peace be achieved in the Middle East," the Chinese diplomat said at a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East.

"The rights of the Palestinians to statehood, existence and return [to their own land] have long been neglected, and this is at the heart of the turmoil that is ongoing between Palestine and Israel."

Wang Yi added that Beijing calls for launching a multilateral settlement process and insists on convening a peace conference.

"We support Palestine’s official membership in the UN Security Council, as any agreements regarding Palestine’s future and fate should fully reflect the will of the Palestinian people and should take into account the rational manner in relations among regional nations," the foreign minister concluded.

Tensions flared up in the Middle East after Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip attacked Israeli territory on October 7, killing residents of border settlements and taking hostages. Hamas views its attack as a response to Israeli authorities’ steps against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria.