Calls for an extended Gaza ceasefire have intensified at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) amid relentless attacks and soaring casualties in the enclave.
On Thursday, the UNSC convened an opening meeting on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and called on Israel to halt all settlement activities in Palestinian territories, including Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.
This marks the third UNSC meeting this week on the escalating crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The discussions come in the wake of Israel’s decision to break the ceasefire with Hamas. Over the past several days, Israeli airstrikes have killed hundreds of Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, while Hamas has retaliated by firing rockets into Israel.
During the meeting, China reiterated its call for restraint, emphasizing that resuming hostilities is not a viable strategy to recover hostages and only leads to further loss of life.
Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, stressed that Gaza must not be used as a battleground for political agendas. He stressed that civilian lives should never be sacrificed for political calculations and called for the realization of a durable and lasting ceasefire in the region.
Israel insists that the resumption of attacks was due to Hamas's refusal to release hostages under the ceasefire agreement, an accusation Hamas has denied. The United States backed Israel's claims during the council meeting, emphasizing that the hostages must be freed.
The UN has urged the Security Council to use its mandated powers to enforce the ceasefire in Gaza and called for the hostages to be released.
"We must work collectively to establish a political framework that outlines tangible, irreversible, and time-bound steps. The occupation must end as rapidly as possible. A viable two-State solution - Israel and Palestine, of which Gaza is an integral part, living side-by-side in peace and security, on the basis of United Nations resolutions, previous agreements, and international law, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States is long overdue," said Sigrid Kaag, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.
Int'l pressure mounts on UN Security Council amid Gaza ceasefire collapse
