China at the UN: It is unacceptable to allow the tragedy in Gaza to continue

Chinese Permanent Representative to the United Nations Fu Cong has again strongly condemned the atrocities being committed against the Palestinian people in Gaza and reiterated China’s strong call for peace.

Speaking at the UN Security Council Briefing on the Situation in the Middle East, Including the Palestinian Question, on October 16, in a meeting initiated by Algeria, and in words that have lost none of their cogency, poignancy or urgency in the subsequent days, Fu said:

“The situation in Gaza is not showing any sign of stabilisation but has continued to deteriorate. In the past two weeks, Israel has not relented its military operations in Gaza at all, but has constantly attacked and bombed schools and hospitals, completely cut off the access of humanitarian supplies into northern Gaza, and once again forcibly ordered emergency evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people. In the sea of fire caused by Israel’s bombing, some displaced Palestinian civilians were burnt to their death. They are all human beings like us. Why, when born in Gaza, do they have to suffer like this? Two million people have been struggling on the verge of death for more than a year. How long will it take before they can see any hope of survival? The Security Council shoulders the responsibility to maintain peace. We have held repeated discussions, expressed sympathy, voiced positions, and expressed concerns. But these are not enough. It is unacceptable to allow the tragedy in Gaza to continue, and it is also unacceptable for the Security Council as a collective to continue to be paralysed.”

Noting that using starvation as a weapon of war is a serious war crime, he went on to note that the Council has adopted a number of resolutions regarding the situation in Gaza, explicitly calling for a ceasefire. But none of them has been effectively implemented. This has dealt a serious blow to the credibility of the entire UN system. “In this respect, we particularly hope that the United States will respond to the strong call of the international community and support further actions by the Council to bring about an immediate ceasefire. It needs to be pointed out that, according to reports, since last October, the US has provided Israel with more than 17 billion US dollars’ worth of military aid.”

We publish below the full text of Fu Cong’s remarks. They were originally published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

President

I thank Algeria for the initiating this meeting, and thank Acting Under-Secretary-General Joyce Msuya for her briefing.

The sudden escalation of the situation between Lebanon and Israel in the past few days has caused widespread concerns and worries in the international community. At the same time, the situation in Gaza is not showing any sign of stabilization, but has continued to deteriorate. In the past two weeks, Israel has not relented its military operations in Gaza at all, but has constantly attacked and bombed schools and hospitals, completely cut off the access of humanitarian supplies into northern Gaza, and once again forcibly ordered emergent evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people. In the sea of fire caused by Israel’s bombing, some displaced Palestinian civilians were burnt to their death. They are all human beings like us. Why, when born in Gaza, do they have to suffer like this? Two million people have been struggling on the verge of death for more than a year. How long will it take before they can see any hope of survival? The Security Council shoulders the responsibility to maintain peace. We have held repeated discussions, expressed sympathy, voiced positions, and expressed concerns. But these are not enough. It is unacceptable to allow the tragedy in Gaza to continue, and it is also unacceptable for the Security Council as a collective to continue to be paralyzed.

We must uphold and revitalize the authority of international humanitarian law. Using starvation as a weapon of war is a serious war crime. Humanitarian organizations are the lifeline for Gaza. It is intolerable to see them face suppression, restriction, and even security threats. Israel must fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law, immediately lift the blockade and restrictions on humanitarian access to the entire Gaza, and cooperate fully with the UN and other humanitarian entities to facilitate and ensure the safety of humanitarian operations such as transportation of humanitarian supplies and polio vaccination. UNRWA is the backbone of humanitarian assistance in Gaza. China firmly opposes any smearing and suppression of the Agency.

We must uphold and revitalize the effectiveness of Security Council resolutions. The Council has adopted a number of resolutions regarding the situation in Gaza, explicitly calling for a ceasefire. But none of them has been effectively implemented. This has dealt a serious blow to the credibility of the entire UN system. Council resolutions are binding for all states and must be implemented. We support the Council in using all the options in its toolbox to ensure the implementation of its resolutions. Every member has the responsibility to safeguard the effectiveness of Council resolutions. In this respect, we particularly hope that the United States will respond to the strong call of the international community and support further actions by the Council to bringing about an immediate ceasefire. It needs to be pointed out that, according to reports, since last October, the US has provided Israel with more than 17 billion US dollars worth of military aids. Under the current circumstances, does such a large scale supply of weapons help realize the objectives of Security Council resolutions? This is a question that needs serious consideration.

We must uphold and revitalize the political prospects for the two-State solution. The implementation of the two-State solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is the only viable way to resolve the Palestinian question. Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are all inseparable parts of the state of Palestine. The future governance arrangements for Gaza should be predicated on a full withdrawal of Israeli troops, and should be decide by consultations among the Palestinian people. The implementation of the two-State solution requires the political will of both parties. Israel must stop eroding and jeopardizing the foundations of the two-State solution and return to the right track of the two-State solution. The international community has the responsibility of providing international guarantee for the implementation of the two-State solution. China is ready to continue to play a constructive role and make unremitting efforts to end the fighting as soon as possible and realize peace in the region.

Thank you, President.