CAIRO, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli-Palestinian conflict reached its grim two-year mark on Tuesday. With the people of Gaza still caught in a cycle of destruction and despair, the Middle East now stands at a crossroads.

The two years of conflict have left the Gaza Strip devastated and its people in dire straits. More than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed during the conflict, and over 1 million displaced. Neighborhoods lie in ruins, basic services have collapsed, and the humanitarian crisis has become one of the world's most urgent and enduring tragedies.

In the face of the staggering humanitarian toll, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described the Gaza Strip, under relentless bombardment and blockades, as "the living hell."

One of the key lessons of the Gaza conflict is that force cannot produce peace, and violence cannot ensure safety.

Israel's actions in Gaza are premised on a simple equation: sustained strikes equal neutralized threats. Yet the result has been the opposite -- not security, but greater insecurity; not stability, but deeper instability. The outcome is not a broken cycle of violence, but one more deeply entrenched than ever.

Over the past two years, criticism of Israel and calls for a cease-fire have reverberated worldwide. The UN Security Council has voted multiple times on resolutions demanding an immediate halt to hostilities, the reopening of humanitarian corridors, and the resumption of political negotiations. However, the efforts have all been blocked by the United States. Across the globe, street protests, public demonstrations, and petitions have kept the call for a Gaza cease-fire at the forefront of international attention.

Many countries, including China, have actively worked to facilitate peace in Gaza, creating channels for dialogue and advocating for renewed implementation of the two-state solution.

Taken together, these efforts have coalesced into an insistent message: the fighting must stop, the humanitarian disaster must end, and Gaza cannot wait any longer for peace.

In recent months, a new wave of international support for the formal recognition of a Palestinian state has gained momentum. Some Western nations, notably France, Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal, have announced their recognition of the State of Palestine.

To date, more than 150 of the United Nations' 193 member states have recognized the State of Palestine.

The growing international recognition of Palestine is a response to a stalled peace process. It signals mounting global frustration with Israel's reluctance to cease hostilities and reflects a consensus forged by two years of conflict: the two-state solution is the only viable path to lasting peace, and fair political arrangements are the prerequisite for enduring security in the Middle East.

The Gaza conflict is more than a regional conflict -- it is a wound on humanity itself, testing the limits of international governance and conscience.

Against the backdrop of relentless bombardment and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, the rhetoric of "human rights" and "democracy" espoused by Washington rings hollow. The principles of fairness and justice have been sacrificed to the geopolitical calculus, exposing the moral bankruptcy of certain countries.

It is imperative that all sides heed the global call for an immediate ceasefire, resume dialogue through diplomatic means, and work toward the full implementation of the two-state solution. Only by silencing the guns and returning to the path of negotiation can lasting peace, security, and dignity be secured for both Palestinians and Israelis, and genuine stability be restored to the region. ■