BEIJING, (PIC)
China has called for not using starvation as a weapon and refraining from politicizing humanitarian issues in the war-torn Gaza Strip, calling on the US administration to pressure Israel to remove obstacles preventing the delivery of aid to the population.
Reiterating that “hunger cannot be weaponized and humanitarian issues cannot be politicized,” China’s permanent representative to the UN Fu Cong said in a recent Security Council briefing that the man-made exacerbation of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza is “unacceptable.”
Fu warned that tragic scenes on the ground in Gaza are “just the tip of the iceberg of the humanitarian catastrophe.”
Fu called on Israel to fulfill its obligations under international humanitarian law and heed the international community’s call to ensure the rapid and safe entry of humanitarian supplies into Gaza.
Fu underlined that the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza was exacerbated by extreme shortages of essential supplies and dire health conditions.
Fu noted that “millions of people are struggling with hunger, disease, pain, and despair,” describing the situation as a “man-made humanitarian disaster and a serious breach of international law.”
Fu pointed out that Gaza has been under tight blockade for nine months, with over two million people living in an “open-air prison” without adequate access to water, electricity, food, medication, and fuel.
He criticized the Israeli army’s closure of the Rafah border crossing, which has left thousands of trucks loaded with humanitarian supplies waiting in long lines.
“The existing crossing points are far from being able to meet the demand for humanitarian aid,” Fu said, emphasizing that land transport routes are key to expanding humanitarian access.
Fu also addressed the obstruction of humanitarian supplies and the challenges faced by humanitarian workers, who encounter unreasonable difficulties and accusations.
He condemned the repeated Israeli attacks on facilities of humanitarian agencies, and noted that over 200 humanitarian workers had been killed in the war on Gaza, calling this “unprecedented in history and shocking.”
Fu called on Israel to ensure the “rapid and safe entry of humanitarian supplies at a large scale into Gaza,” and to cooperate fully with the UN and other humanitarian organizations.
Fu also urged the concerned parties to work harder to remove obstacles to the large-scale entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Fu emphasized that the fundamental way to alleviate the humanitarian disaster is through a lasting ceasefire and the early restart of negotiations for the two-state solution.
He called on the international community to continue efforts towards the achievement of this end and to support the council in this regard.
