WNAM MONITORING: China stressed a permanent ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday, urging Israel to stop attacking Lebanon and Syria.
“The Middle East is now deeply mired in turmoil,” China’s permanent representative to the UN, Fu Cong, said during the 9907th meeting of the UN Security Council, emphasizing that Israel has “reignited the war in Gaza.”
In his speech, Fu Cong highlighted Israeli atrocities such as the ongoing siege and relentless attacks on Gaza, which have resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians on a daily basis, as well as an escalating humanitarian disaster in the enclave, in addition to the illegal settlements in the West Bank, which continue to expand amid illegal Israeli settlers attacks on Palestinians.
The Chinese envoy emphasized that the “current round of the Gaza conflict” has been ongoing for an extended period of time, causing massive destruction and casualties among the Palestinian people.
“19 months have passed since the conflict began, despite the international community’s unanimous and strong call for a cease-fire and the end of the war in Gaza. Peace remains elusive. Over 52,000 people have lost their lives, and another 2 million people in Gaza are at risk of being displaced quickly,” he added.
The diplomat underscored that Israel’s actions violate basic norms and international law, saying that following international humanitarian law is an obligation that cannot be used as a “bargaining chip.”
“We urge Israel to fulfill its international legal obligations in earnest and to observe the basic norms governing international relations,” he said, calling for a long-term cease-fire in Gaza.
He also condemned Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and Syria, as well as US airstrikes in Yemen, saying, “Israel’s repeated attacks on Lebanon and Syria are a violation of their sovereignty and territorial integrity on an ongoing basis.”
Since last month, tensions have risen in the Red Sea, he said, adding: “The United States has been ramping up airstrikes against Yemen, in violation of Yemen’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
He urged the US to stop its airstrikes in Yemen.
The US has carried out more than 1,200 airstrikes in Yemen since March 15, killing more than 225 civilians and injuring over 430, mostly women and children, according to Houthi data that excludes losses among their forces.
The Israeli army renewed its assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a Jan. 19 ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with the resistance group Hamas.
Over 52,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
