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Remarks by Ambassador Geng Shuang at the UN Security Council Briefing on the Situation in the Middle East, Including the Palestinian Question

2024-08-29 23:32

President,

I thank Switzerland and the UK for requesting this meeting, and thank Assistant Secretary-General Joyce Msuya and Deputy Director-General Mike Ryan for their briefings.

Over 10 months have passed since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza, which has led to the death of over 40,000 civilians and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. Despite the repeated calls by the international community for an end to the fighting, the multiple resolutions adopted by the Security Council in this regard, and provisional measures ordered by the ICJ, the situation has not seen any improvement. Rather, it continues to worsen.

In the past month alone, the conflict has consumed the lives of over 1,000 people in Gaza. Israel issued 16 emergency evacuation orders. Schools and refugee camps that sheltered a large number of people were targeted in attacks. Hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee time and again, unable to find a safe place of living. Israel continued to further suppress and restrict the UN and other humanitarian organizations, frequently rejecting deliveries of supplies such as fuel. Recently, humanitarian agencies were compelled to evacuate from their centers and warehouses in Deir al-Balah, further causing serious damage to the humanitarian system in Gaza.

The polio virus seriously threatens the health of children in Gaza. Vaccination is the most effective way to stem the spread of the virus and ensure the safety of children. Virus knows no borders. China supports the appeal by Secretary-General Guterres and urges Israel, in a responsible manner towards its own children and those of the region, to provide security guarantee and facilitation to the vaccination work. We support the Council in making a strong appeal to this end to avoid further worsening of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

In the West Bank, Israel continues to violate international law and Council resolutions, its settlements continue to grow, and it ramps up searches, arrests, and raids against Palestinians. Since last October, over 620 Palestinians have lost their lives. Yesterday, the Israeli military launched a large scale military operation targeting Tulkarm, Jenin, and Tubas, among others in the West Bank, which resulted in at least 10 deaths and many injuries. China strongly condemns this. Senior Israeli officials in the government recently spoke of using the same approach in the West Bank as they have employed in operations in Gaza. We are shocked and seriously concerned by such extreme remarks that risk global condemnation. Gaza has now turned into hell on earth. We must never allow the same humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza to happen in the West Bank, which will turn the West Bank into another hell on earth. China opposes any rhetoric or action that fuels tensions, condemns all attacks on civilians, and calls on all the parties concerned, Israel in particular, to remain calm and exercise restraint and prevent further escalation of the situation.

President,

The priority now is to fully implement the four Council resolutions on the situation in Gaza, promote an immediate and durable ceasefire, and effectively ease the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Ceasefire negotiations cannot be indefinitely delayed, still less should they be used as an excuse to continue committing atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank in violation of international law. China urges Israel to immediately stop all military operations in Gaza, open all border crossings, stop its suppressing and restriction of the UN and other humanitarian organizations, stop its attacks on the West Bank, curb settler violence and impunity. Countries with significant influence on the parties concerned should demonstrate a sincere and responsible approach and take practical actions to promote the realization of a ceasefire. We support further actions by the Council to promote the implementation of relevant resolutions, bring an early end to the fighting, and ease the humanitarian catastrophe.

Thank you, President.

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