President,

China is very disappointed with the result of today’s vote. Guyana, Algeria, and other E10 members of the Council demonstrated maximum sincerity and constructiveness during the consultation of the draft resolution. The US single use of veto has shattered the Gazan people’s hope for survival and pushed them further into darkness and desperation.

During the Council’s debate on Monday, I said that every moment will be recorded in history and will be judged by history. We cannot imagine how the vote today, as well as the Council's failure to respond to the Gaza conflict over the past 13 months, can escape the harsh judgment of history.

In the future, when looking back, people will find it hard to believe. When the US cast its first veto on October 18 last year, nearly 3,000 civilians had been killed in Gaza. By the time the US cast its second veto, 17,000 people had been killed as a result of Israeli bombardment. With its continued use of veto, when the US cast its fifth veto on April 18 this year, the death toll in Gaza had surged to 34,000. Now, nearly 44,000 people have been killed in Gaza, and the US still do not hesitate to use its veto. 44,000. This is not just a number. Behind it could be a child, a nursing mother, or a breadwinner of a family. The loss of each and every one of them means eternal pain for the surviving relatives. People cannot help but ask: do Palestinian lives mean nothing? Can the deaths of 44,000 people not win even a little bit of sympathy from the United States? How many more people have to die to wake them up from pretending asleep?

In the future, when looking back, people will find it hard to understand. The Security Council is mandated under the UN charter to shoulder the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. It is incomprehensible that for the past year or so, the United States has been so insistent in rendering the Council incapable of playing its role, leading to its paralysis. The US has claimed to be conducting parallel diplomatic efforts and has repeatedly promised that progress would be made soon in the negotiations. It is incomprehensible that to date, the so-called diplomatic negotiations have been going in circles. Why is Israel allowed to continue its military operations while constantly putting forth new conditions for negotiations?

In the future, when looking back, people will surely feel indignant. Israel has flagrantly breached every red line of international humanitarian law, with its actions causing an unprecedented humanitarian disaster. But even as a famine is about to break out in Gaza, the United States always seems to be able to find justification to defend Israel. This represents a distortion and selective disregard of the application of international humanitarian law. People never knew before how low one could stoop in terms of double standard. No wonder people feel angry. Their indignation also stems from the fact that the continued supply of weapons from the US has become a decisive factor for the war lasting so long, causing so many casualties and so much destruction.

President,

The US Representative called for the release of hostages in their earlier statement. Our position has been very clear from the beginning. All hostages must be released. An immediate and unconditional ceasefire must be established. Both are important. There should be no preconditions attached, and the two things should not be linked to each other. Facts have shown that Israel’s military operations in Gaza have long exceeded the scope of rescuing hostages. Insistence on setting preconditions for a ceasefire is tantamount to giving the green light to prolong the war and condone the continued killing.

President,

The repeated use of veto by the United States has reduced the authority of the Security Council and international law to an all-time low. But it is never too late to recognize and correct the mistakes. We call on the US to take its responsibilities as a permanent member of the Council seriously, stop being passive and evasive, and stop the deliberate procrastination. Instead, it should act with a sense of responsibility to history, and support the Council in taking all necessary actions to achieve an immediate ceasefire, save lives, and restore peace.

Thank you, President.