China Urges US to Push Israel for Ceasefire in Gaza at UNSC Meeting
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - A senior Chinese diplomat has called on the United States to leverage its influence over Israel to push for a ceasefire in Gaza, aligning with United Nations Security Council resolutions.
At a UN Security Council meeting on Monday, China’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, Geng Shuang, urged the US to take concrete steps to halt Israel's genocidal military operations in Gaza, citing the Council's resolutions.
"We urge the US to show a responsible attitude, use the significant influence it holds over the party (Israel), and take tangible actions to push Israel to cease its military operations without delay, as demanded by the Council resolutions, to give the long-suffering Palestinian people a chance to live," Geng stated during the briefing on the Middle East and the Palestine issue.
He emphasized that had the US not blocked efforts at earlier stages, the Council could have passed resolutions demanding an immediate ceasefire following the eruption of the conflict.
"Had the United States not stood in the way on all those occasions, the Council could have adopted a resolution demanding a ceasefire early on after the conflict erupted. Had the US not shielded one side time and again, multiple resolutions of this Council would not have been flagrantly rejected and defied," Geng said.
Geng highlighted the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, despite UN Security Council resolutions and International Court of Justice rulings.
Geng added that despite the four resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council, the International Court of Justice orders on provisional measures, and the huge efforts of the UN and other humanitarian agencies, the humanitarian situation in Gaza has been constantly worsening, and violations of international law, in particular international humanitarian law, have persisted unabated.
Citing a recent incident where a UN convoy supporting a polio vaccination campaign, approved by Israel, was detained for nearly eight hours and six UN personnel were killed in an airstrike, Geng condemned such actions.
China, he said, strongly opposes these attacks on humanitarian agencies and personnel, labeling them "unacceptable."
Referring to the polio vaccination campaign, Geng argued that the event proves that increased humanitarian efforts in Gaza are feasible when political will is shown.
China once again called on Israel to comply with international humanitarian law, by putting lives and humanity first, immediately lifting the blockade, opening all crossings, scrapping restrictions on humanitarian deliveries, ceasing attacks on UN and other humanitarian agencies, and providing safe and unimpeded access to the operations of those agencies.
"We are now near the first anniversary of the conflict in Gaza. Over the past year, despite strong joint international calls for a ceasefire and the cessation of killings, Israel has not halted its military operations, which have led to the death of over 41,000 Palestinian civilians," Geng stated.
Geng reiterated China’s support for further actions by the UN Security Council to extinguish the flames of war, mitigate the humanitarian disaster, and bring peace to the region as soon as possible.
