China's UN envoy: 'Death and hunger' in Gaza can't be accepted

China's envoy to the United Nations on Wednesday urged Israel to stop "weaponizing humanitarian assistance", lift the blockade of Gaza and the restrictions on access and cooperate fully with the UN and other humanitarian agencies. 

It cannot be accepted that "death and hunger have become the new normal in Gaza", nor can the conflict be allowed to drag on and expand while the marginalization of the Security Council is being ignored, Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said at a UN Security Council briefing on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Since October last year, the Gaza conflict and the situation in the Middle East have been at the forefront of the council's work, Fu noted, adding that the situation has not improved but rather has continued to deteriorate.

"The authority of international law seems to exist in name only for certain states, and the bottom line of international humanitarian law has been repeatedly shattered," he said.

The role of UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestinians, is "indispensable and irreplaceable", said Fu.

"China firmly opposes Israel's smearing and suppression of UNRWA and is gravely concerned about the relevant Knesset bills targeting the agency," he said.

Fu emphasized that the international community cannot "just sit back and watch the entire Middle East plunging into an all-out war".

"The harsh reality has proved that winning a war does not necessarily mean having peace; military might alone cannot guarantee lasting security; and the obsession with force only creates more killings and hatred," he said.

He called on Israel to "cease all military operations in Gaza and put an end to the collective punishment of the people in Gaza", and said, "Lebanon must not become the next Gaza."

Israel's air force carried out more than 230 airstrikes in Lebanon and Gaza over the past day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday. The death toll from Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon on Tuesday has risen to 22, with 80 others wounded, Lebanon's health ministry reported on Wednesday.

Israeli airstrikes have displaced more than 600,000 people within Lebanon, while over 300,000 others have fled the country in the past month, according to the UN.

"China calls on all parties to exercise restraint and achieve a cease-fire. We urge Israel in particular to stop taking actions that would further escalate the situation," he said.

The Security Council in June adopted a resolution proposed by the US aimed at reaching a comprehensive cease-fire deal in three phases to end the war in Gaza.

"However, over the past five months, the so-called diplomatic efforts seemed to be going in circles, and more time and patience have led to greater civilian casualties and more reckless military adventurism," Fu said.

He reiterated that Security Council resolutions are binding for all states, as stipulated in the UN Charter, and there is no room for distortion or interpretation.

"In this regard, the implementation of international humanitarian law is a non-negotiable obligation and cannot be used as a bargaining chip. The principles of international law are universally applicable to all states.

"Double standards and selective application would set a terrible precedent with wide-ranging negative consequences," he said.

minluzhang@chinadailyusa.com