(Dan Tri) – Analysts say that China is ready to play a role in peacekeeping and support in post-war Gaza, but the US is the one that holds the key to a ceasefire agreement.
Houses devastated by bombs in Gaza (Photo: THX).
According to expert Carice Witte, founder of a consulting organization based in Israel, China can contribute to the economic and political reconstruction of Gaza after the war through peacekeeping missions and
On November 22, Israel approved a temporary ceasefire with Hamas in exchange for the freedom of dozens of hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
Mr. Chu Bo, senior fellow at Tsinghua University’s Center for International Security and Strategy, said that if United Nations peacekeeping forces were deployed in Gaza, China would be one of the
`It is unlikely that Israel will eliminate Hamas by force, and an Israeli occupation will certainly be counterproductive. This means that one day there may be a need for peacekeepers here,` he said.
Mr. Zhou, a former colonel of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), said China, as the country providing the largest peacekeeping force among the five permanent members of the Security Council
Beijing has 8,000 peacekeepers in the United Nations reserve force, but currently only a few thousand Chinese peacekeepers are deployed.
But Mr. Chu added that Beijing does not have much say in Israel’s decision to agree to a ceasefire or manage Gaza after the war.
`After the ceasefire, the exact role China can play will depend largely on the agreement the parties reach. Beijing’s role in Gaza, whether as a potential peacekeeping force or
According to Bloomberg, Israel has so far remained skeptical about the plan to deploy international peacekeeping forces.
Tuvia Gering, a researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, agreed that Israel may be reluctant to welcome an international power overseeing Gaza, citing limited progress by the United Nations Interim Force.
UNIFIL was established to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon following the 1978 attack by Tel Aviv.
Expert Gering said that UNIFIL’s failure to keep peace between Israel and Hezbollah shows their `inability` to resolve the issue according to the UN resolution and could make Tel Aviv doubt the force’s credibility.
UNIFIL currently has about 400 Chinese troops, according to official United Nations data.
`At that time, China, which supports the Arab position, can play an active role in the reconstruction of Gaza and contribute to bringing jobs and hope to the Palestinian people,` she said.
But expert Gering noted that China has little interest in investing in Gaza’s economic reconstruction.
Expert Yahia Zoubir at the Middle East Council for Global Affairs based in Doha, agreed that Israel has no plans to retake Gaza and management could be transferred to the Palestinian Authority.
According to him, Beijing will continue to try to persuade countries in the Southern Hemisphere to oppose the US and EU.
