Madam President,

I thank Algeria, Guyana, Slovenia, and Switzerland for their initiative to convene today’s meeting. I also thank the three briefers for their briefings. The UN and humanitarian agencies have played an important role in easing the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, which China fully recognizes and supports.

Over four months since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza, nearly 30,000 civilians have lost their lives and Gaza has sunk into an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. Millions of people in Gaza are suffering the pain of losing their loved ones or still unable to find safe shelter after multiple times of forced displacement. They lack the most basic safety guarantees and supplies for survival, and are constantly faced with the threat of death, hunger, and disease. Even more so, women and children are living in fear and desperation every single day. All that is happening in Gaza seriously violates international law, international humanitarian law, and goes beyond the bottom line of human morality and conscience. The international community must take actions to protect civilians, save lives, and make every effort to prevent an even greater humanitarian disaster.

Madam President,

Humanitarian assistance is what the people in Gaza rely on for hope of survival. With the focus on protecting civilians and expanding humanitarian access, the Council has adopted Resolutions 2712 and 2720. However, due to man-made obstacles, the entry of humanitarian supplies into Gaza has faced many difficulties. For nearly a month now, the humanitarian supplies received in Gaza have been far below the average of earlier periods, and Northern Gaza has not received any humanitarian supplies. We call on Israel to earnestly fulfill its obligations as the occupying power under the Geneva Convention, fully cooperate in the implementation of Security Council resolutions, open up all land, sea, and air access routes, and ensure the safe, rapid, and unimpeded entry of humanitarian supplies.

At the same time, Israel should strictly comply with the requirements of the de-confliction mechanism, effectively guarantee the safety of humanitarian agencies and personnel, and provide necessary facilitation for humanitarian agencies to carry out assistance in Gaza. The ICJ ordered provisional measures that require Israel to take all measures to prevent genocide and provide the population in Gaza with urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance. The order of provisional measures must be effectively implemented.

UNRWA is the lifeline for the people in Gaza. Its role is indispensable and irreplaceable. We support the UN in conducting an independent and impartial investigation into the allegations against UNRWA staff. Israel should support and cooperate with the UN in the investigation. Meanwhile, the international community should continue to support UNRWA and other humanitarian agencies in their work. We call upon the international community and in particular, the major donors, to promptly resume their funding for UNRWA.

Madam President,

Secretary-General Guterres has pointed out on multiple occasions that with Gaza under gunfire, conditions are impossible for the delivery of humanitarian aid. An immediate ceasefire is the necessary precondition for protecting civilians, delivering assistance, and alleviating the humanitarian disaster. This is currently the overwhelming call of the international community and the overwhelming consensus among Council members. We hope that the relevant country will adopt a responsible and constructive attitude and support the Council in taking action to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

China will continue to work with the international community to make tireless efforts to restore peace and save lives, to end the fighting in Gaza, to implement the two-State solution, and to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East.

Thank you, President.