President,

I thank Secretary-General António Guterres for his statement and Commissioner-General ad interim Christian F. Saunders for his briefing.

For more than 70 years, pursuant to mandates conferred by General Assembly resolutions, UNRWA has provided relief and assistance to Palestine refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and elsewhere, playing an important role in alleviating the suffering of refugees and maintaining regional stability. In particular, since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza, UNRWA personnel have risked their lives to serve as the last lifeline for more than two million people, with more than 390 staff members making the ultimate sacrifice. China highly commends UNRWA for its invaluable contributions, pays high tribute to its personnel and their families, and will continue to firmly support its work.

For some time now, UNRWA has been subjected to persistent attacks and suppression. Ensuring the Agency's normal functioning concerns the survival and well-being of more than five million Palestine refugees, the authority of the United Nations and multilateralism, and the prospects for resolving the question of Palestine. China firmly opposes any attempts to undermine UNRWA, calls on all parties to provide every necessary facilitation and support for its humanitarian operations, and urges Israel to effectively safeguard UNRWA's privileges and immunities and ensure its normal functioning. Funding shortages have severely constrained the Agency's capacity to deliver assistance. The international community, especially traditional donors, should step up support for UNRWA and help it overcome its financial crisis.

President,

China firmly supports the just cause of the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights. China has long provided humanitarian and development assistance to Palestine and has consistently provided, and will continue to provide, stable financial support to UNRWA. Last December, President Xi Jinping announced that China would provide US$100 million in assistance to Palestine to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and support Gaza's recovery and reconstruction. China stands ready to work with the international community to support UNRWA in fulfilling its mandate, promote a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, ease the humanitarian crisis, advance the implementation of the two-State solution, and achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine at an early date.

I thank you, President.