Palestinian envoy seeks 'special role' for China in Middle East

Palestinians celebrate a ceasefire agreement in Gaza Palestinian envoy, Bassam al-Salhi, stated on Friday that “China can play a special role in the Middle East.” The comments from the representative of the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, came after talks in Beijing on efforts to upgrade his people's status at the United Nations and maintain calm in the region.
Al-Salhi - also the General Secretary of the Palestinian People's Party - referred to Beijing as a "broker" and a "mediator" after talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi. He said China could succeed where the United States failed in finding a solution to end hostilities between Israel and the Palestinians.
"We are very interested in China’s role in all of the Middle East. The latter requires more efforts from the international community," Al-Salhi said. "They want to be involved in the Middle East and we are interested in them being more involved. A special role for China is coming."
China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has voiced support for the Palestinian push for a full state membership of the United Nations. It has also called on the international community to help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but not played an active role itself. Beijing said it welcomed the ceasefire and hoped both sides would "sincerely implement" it.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying also said China would give humanitarian aid to the Gaza strip but declined to go into details. Al-Salhi had earlier said China offered $1 million in "special assistance" to "our people in Palestine".
Beijing has traditionally remained distant from Middle Eastern affairs, although it has begun to take a more active diplomatic role in recent years, wielding its UN veto power to scuttle some Western-backed proposals on Syria.
Meanwhile, Israeli politicians returned to the campaign trail as the streets of Gaza came back to life after a truce ended eight days of bloodshed, with both sides claiming victory while remaining wary. Following a night of quiet skies after an Egyptian-brokered truce deal came into effect at 1900 GMT, Gaza's Hamas Prime Minister hailed the territory's multiple militant groups for respecting the ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government was "giving the ceasefire a chance" but was prepared for the eventuality it could collapse.
In Gaza, streets which had been emptied by Israel's intensive air strikes were once again flooded with honking cars and people were back to their daily business.
The ruling Hamas movement declared a public holiday to mark the end of hostilities and organised a mass celebration in the centre of Gaza City.
"I salute the resistance factions who have respected the agreement since it entered into force and I ask everyone to respect it and act accordingly," Haniya said as thousands waved flags outside the parliament building.
His office said president Mahmud Abbas, of the rival Fatah movement, had spoken by telephone with Haniya to congratulate him on his "victory."
Parents carried children with the words "Hamas" in green and "Fatah" in yellow painted on their cheeks and some waved the flags of both movements in a rare show of unity in the Hamas-run territory.
Both sides claimed the ceasefire as a victory, warning they would be ready to resume fire should the other violate the agreement.
"Israel has failed in all its goals," Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal said in Cairo on Wednesday. "If you commit, we will commit. If you do not commit, the rifles are in our hands."
Israel's armed forces chief of staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz hailed the campaign, saying it had "accomplished its purposes and goals."
"We hit Hamas hard," he said, adding the operation had inflicted "great damage" on Hamas's rocket-launching capabilities.
Netanyahu warned Israel was ready should the truce collapse. "We are currently giving the ceasefire a chance, but are also prepared for the possibility the ceasefire will not be kept, and we'll know to act accordingly," he said. But the tone was far from celebratory. And with just two months until a general election, it was back to the campaign trail for politicians, many of whom were quick to accuse Netanyahu of failing to keep an old pledge to bring down Hamas.
"Deterrence was not restored," said Shaul Mofaz, head of the centre-right Kadima party. "We shouldn't have stopped the operation at this stage. The ceasefire is a mistake," he told army radio.
The mass-circulation Yediot Aharonot newspaper said the Cairo agreement "will lead to a certain period of quiet in the south" but it was only a matter of time before the border heated up again.