President,

I thank Deputy Commissioner-General Antonia Marie De Meo and Special Coordinator Muhannad Hadi for their briefings.

The conflict in Gaza has been going on for over nine months, causing an unprecedented, ever-worsening humanitarian catastrophe, with nearly 40,000 innocent civilian lives lost. The red lines of international law and international humanitarian law have been crossed repeatedly. The unfolding tragedy in Gaza is testing the moral conscience of humanity and rocking the very foundation of international justice. It will be remembered as a stain in human history, one that is hard to scrub off. We cannot help but ask: How many more lives must be lost? How many more women and children must die? And how many more homes must be destroyed before this tragedy can cease, before the flames of war in Gaza can die down?

It has been almost two months since Security Council Resolution 2735 was adopted. While certain countries keep asserting that negotiations for a ceasefire are underway, Israel has continued its large-scale military operations over the past two months. From Rafah to Khan Yunis, from IDP camps to hospitals, from UN schools to the “safe zones” designated by Israel, the bombings and attacks have not stopped even for a moment, and innocent civilians are dying each and every single day. Civilian lives must not be used as a bargaining chip for negotiations, and military offensives cannot create the conditions for the release of hostages. Negotiations must not go on indefinitely. There is not a moment to lose when lives are at stake, and alleviating the humanitarian catastrophe allows no delay. We urge Israel to immediately cease all military operations in Gaza. We urge the United States to put greater pressure on Israel to help bring out an immediate ceasefire. China supports the Council in taking further actions that are necessary to push for the implementation of the relevant resolutions.

China reiterates that humanitarian issues must not be politicized, and that starvation must not be turned into a weapon of war. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, operating under the GA mandate, is the mainstay of humanitarian assistance in Gaza. China is firmly opposed to attempts to attack and discredit UNRWA and to throw a spanner in the works of UNRWA’s mandate implementation. In an alarming development, an UNRWA humanitarian transport vehicle was recently shot by Israeli forces. The safety and security of humanitarian workers must be ensured, the incident in question must be thoroughly investigated, and those responsible must be held accountable. China urges Israel to genuinely fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law by opening all land crossings to give rapid access to humanitarian delivery at scale and provide security and necessary assistance to humanitarian agencies.

China reiterates that the implementation of the two-State solution is the only viable way to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli issue. Settlement activities in the West Bank violate international law and relevant Security Council resolutions and chip away at the foundation of the two-State solution, which we firmly oppose. All settlement activities must be halted and the ever-worsening, settler violence must be stopped.

China has always been a staunch supporter of the restoration of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people as a nation. Earlier this week, The intra-Palestinian groups held a reconciliation dialogue in Beijing and reached an important consensus, making a significant step forward for upholding the principle of Palestinians governing Palestine and preparing for post-war governance in Gaza. China firmly supports the independent Palestinian statehood, and calls for a broader based, more authoritative, and more effective international peace conference to work out a timetable and a roadmap for the implementation of the two-State solution, with a view to putting the Palestinian question back on the right track towards a political settlement.

President, 

The negative spillover effects of the Gaza conflict are spreading and echoed at multiple points in the region, and the situation between Lebanon and Israel and the developments in the Red Sea are worrying. Allowing the flames of war and instability to spread even further would only lead to a catastrophe that engulfs the entire region. China calls on all parties concerned to exercise calm and restraint and to refrain from any action that would exacerbate the tensions. China is ready to work with the rest of the international community in our tireless efforts to bring an early end to the war in Gaza, mitigate the impact of the havoc, and implement the two-State solution, so that Palestine and Israel can live alongside each other in peace and durable peace and stability can prevail in the Middle East.

Thank you, President.