Israel-Gaza war: China condemns ‘heinous attack’ on hospital and urges ceasefire as priority at UN Security Council
- Chinese ambassador Zhang Jun denounces ‘indiscriminate use of force’ and urges Israel to meet obligations under international humanitarian law
- US only country in 15-member council to veto resolution to condemn all violence against civilians in the war and urge humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza
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.
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“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.
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.