Vietnam is extremely concerned about violation escalation in Gaza and calls for intensified efforts by the international community to achieve an immediate ceasefire, said a Vietnamese representative at the United Nations.

Addressing the UN Security Council's open debate on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question” in New York on July 22, Ambassador Le Hoai Trung, Permanent Representative of Vietnam at the UN, said Vietnam strongly deplores the unacceptable level of civilian casualties caused.

Vietnam shares Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks on the atrocious action by Israel in Gaza and join him and others in calling on Israel to cease the violence against and take actions to protect the Palestinian civilians, he added.

“We call for an immediate ceasefire, an end to the violence against civilians and a resumption of negotiations between parties concerned. We call for intensified efforts by the international community, in particular the Security Council and the Quartet, to achieve such a ceasefire and address the current political and humanitarian crisis, including by facilitation of humanitarian relief in Gaza,” he said.

The Ambassador affirmed Vietnam’s full support for these and any other efforts by the international community aimed at bringing peace and stability to the region.

According to Ambassador Trung, the cycle of violence has and will continue to plague the region unless a just and peaceful solution is found for the almost seven-decade-long Palestinian question as well as for the broader conflict in the Middle East.
In this regard, Vietnam supports efforts towards the peaceful settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict on the basis of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, the Madrid terms of reference, including the principle of land for peace, the Arab Peace Initiative, and the Quartet Road Map, with a view to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting solution that ensures the legitimate interests of all parties concerned, he said.

“Urgent and decisive actions are now needed to resume direct talks between Israel and Palestine and the broader Middle East peace process. Vietnam once again reaffirms its principled support for the two-state solution, including the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine existing in peace with the State of Israel,” he emphasised.-VNA