Beijing has condemned what it called a “heinous attack” on a Gaza hospital that brought the Palestinian death toll to nearly 3,500, and it warned that the region will be “engulfed” without a complete ceasefire.
Chinese ambassador Zhang Jun delivered China’s statement to the UN Security Council on Wednesday as Washington voted amid the Israel-Gaza war against a United Nations resolution to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
During the Security Council’s emergency briefing on Wednesday – a day after a deadly blast on Al-Ahli hospital killed hundreds of civilians and medical workers – Zhang denounced an “indiscriminate use of force” and urged Israel to “effectively fulfil its obligations under international humanitarian law”. The Israeli military has denied claims it was behind the attack.
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.
“Developments over the past few days have amply demonstrated that an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire must be the overriding priority … Without a comprehensive ceasefire, any amount of humanitarian assistance will be a drop in the bucket,” Zhang said in a strongly worded statement to the council.
“If the current fight in Gaza is allowed to drag on, the end result will not be a complete military victory for any side, but rather most likely will be a catastrophe that will engulf the entire region, that will probably completely end the prospect for the two-state solution,” Zhang said.
Aerial view of the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza after hundreds of Palestinians were killed in a blast that Israeli and Palestinian officials blamed on each other, in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, October 18, 2023. Photo: Planet Labs PBC/Handout via Reuters alt=Aerial view of the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza after hundreds of Palestinians were killed in a blast that Israeli and Palestinian officials blamed on each other, in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, October 18, 2023. Photo: Planet Labs PBC/Handout via Reuters>
China’s embassy in Israel has advised its nationals to leave the country or return to China as soon as possible to “avoid risks and ensure safety”, especially while commercial flights are still operating.
At an earlier vote, the United States was the only country in the 15-member council to veto a Brazil-sponsored resolution to condemn all violence against civilians in the war and urge humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza. Russia and Britain abstained.
“Arab countries have issued a strong call for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire. The international community should heed this just call of Arab countries and the Palestinian people, and unite all diplomatic efforts towards this goal,” said Zhang, who warned against plunging the Israeli and Palestinian people into “a vicious cycle of hatred and confrontation”.
The conflict had been brewing for decades before Hamas’ surprise attack on October 7, during which the disparity of force and casualties between Israel and Palestine widened as more Palestinian territories were occupied. According to UN numbers, between 2008 and just before the current conflict began, 6,407 Palestinians were killed compared with 308 Israelis deaths.
Zhang further suggested that Palestinians were left with few options to survive Israel’s carpet bombing, stressing that “the basic needs of the people in Gaza must be ensured”.
“Tens of thousands of people have been forced to move south because of the emergency evacuation order issued by Israel, only to suffer from air strikes in the south as well,” Zhang said, noting Israel’s total siege of water, electricity and fuel in the Gaza Strip.
Since its occupation of the West Bank in 1967, Israel has controlled all water resources and water-related infrastructure. Water consumption by Israelis is at least four times that of Palestinians living in the occupied territories, according to Amnesty International.
Supplies, electricity and humanitarian aid into the Gaza strip are similarly controlled by Israel.
This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.