President, 

I thank you for presiding over this meeting. I would also like to thank Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland for the briefing today. 

As the Council is again considering the situation in the Middle East, what is unfolding before our eyes is that Gaza and the Middle East as a whole are experiencing worsening situation, elusive peace prospects, and a looming all-out war. The Council should act immediately on the pressing issues, with a view to promoting a ceasefire, saving lives, and restoring peace, I wish to stress the following points.

First, an immediate and permanent ceasefire is the prerequisite for saving lives and preventing further deterioration of the situation. There is no justification for any delay. The United States has announced that it would reinvigorate ceasefire negotiations. We hope that the negotiations will not fall into the weird cycle of marking time as we saw in the past several months. Nor should they become a pretext for prolonging and expanding the fighting. The relevant diplomatic efforts should not be used as an excuse to obstruct Council actions. We support the Council in using all the options in its toolbox and take further actions towards a ceasefire.

Second, Gaza has been bombarded into a living hell, and Northern Gaza is turning into the hell of the hell. Humanitarian supplies have been cut off. Relief operations have been denied. Civilians in Jabalia camp are evacuated at gunpoint. And patients and doctors at the Kamal Adwan Hospital are subjected to inhumane treatment. The bottom line of international humanitarian law has been trampled upon time and again. This is a stain on the conscience of humanity and should not be tolerated at all. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law. No double standards should be allowed in this regard.

Third, UNRWA has been providing relief in accordance with its mandate from the General Assembly. It is the backbone of humanitarian assistance in Gaza. The Israeli Knesset, in total disregard of the strong opposition of the international community, passed two bills in an attempt to restrict and close UNRWA. China expresses strong condemnation. Closing the Agency would be a new round of collective punishment of millions of Palestinian refugees in the region, and would severely affect the humanitarian situation, security, and stability in the region. We call on Israel to hold and revoke the relevant bills to ensure the dignity, safety, and facilitation for the work of UN humanitarian agencies, including UNRWA.

Fourth, in the current context, certain countries are continuing their massive supply of weapons to Israel. Whether such acts would contribute to achieving the objectives contained in the Council resolutions is a matter that must be taken seriously. The GA emergency special session has adopted a resolution urging all states to stop supplying weapons and equipment that might be used in the occupied Palestinian territory. China recently joined the joint letter initiated by Türkiye calling for the implementation of the demand from this GA resolution. We hope that the countries concerned will take seriously the grave consequence of their massive supply of weapons and stop fueling the flames of military adventurism.

Fifth, while the flames of war have been raging on in Gaza over the past year, the situation in the West Bank has also been deteriorating. Illegal settlements have been expanding, with more than 1,700 Palestinian houses confiscated by force or demolished, and thousands of Palestinians displaced. The occupying power has also frequently conducted violence against the Palestinian people and used various means to suppress and restrict the governance of the Palestinian National Authority. Such practices are creating a new reality and undermining the conditions on which the realization of the two-State solution is based. Preventing the further erosion of the basis of the two-State solution by unilateral actions should be a priority for the international community in advancing Palestinian-Israeli peace in the next phase. 

Sixth, an all-out war in the region is looming. The recent Israeli invasion into Lebanon, its continuous indiscriminate bombardment, and multiple airstrikes against Iran and Syria have violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the relevant countries and further destabilized the region. The situation is hanging by a thread. Any irresponsible adventurism would be extremely dangerous and might lead to catastrophic consequences. We urge Israel to abandon its obsession with force, so as to prevent the region from being plunged into a larger disaster. We also call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, jointly abide by the UN Charter and the principles of international law, and return to the right track of seeking political and diplomatic solutions to disputes.

Thank you, President.