Permanent representative of Israel to the United Nations (UN) Danny Danon on Thursday denied that any discussions had occurred between Israel and the UN regarding delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Danon made these remarks at the UN headquarters in response to a query from a China Central Television (CCTV) reporter about the ongoing failure to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Israel blocked the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza on March 2, following the end of the first phase of a January ceasefire deal with Hamas. It resumed attacks on Gaza on March 18.
With no food, no supplies, and no relief in sight, Gazans have been enduring a relentless fight for survival.
In response to mounting international condemnation, Israel has proposed that its military take over the distribution of aid - a move widely criticized by the international community.
Briefing a Security Council meeting on Tuesday, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher noted that the UN has met for over 12 times with the Israeli authorities regarding the latter's proposed aid distribution model, yet no solution had been found.
Danon, however, stated that no discussions have taken place in recent weeks regarding the issue.
"I don't know about that. Actually I listened to Mr. Fletcher's remarks at the Security Council the other day, and I can tell you that he visited Israel but he had no discussion about that fund because it was way back and in the last few weeks there was no dialogue about that. I would expect UN officials to engage when they want to speak about issues they know how to reach us, they know how to reach the U.S. mission. We are here to engage," he said.
"They got some information from the media, I assume. But I think they should look into that and to realize that if they want to be involved, that is the way to be involved," he added, reiterating that the UN has not reached out.
In response to Danon's denial, the United Nations reaffirmed its position, standing by the public statement released by Fletcher.
"I heard what he said, and we stand by what Mr. Fletcher has said," Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for UN Secretary-General noted later on the day, commenting on Danon's statement.
"Mr. Fletcher gave the details," he continued.
Israel envoy denies discussions with UN on enabling Gaza aid deliveries
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde called on the European Union and China to deepen understanding and trust to cultivate better economic and trade relations, and expected the financial institutions of both sides to enhance cooperation.
During her visit to China, China Global Television Network (CGTN) conducted an exclusive interview with Lagarde in Beijing on Thursday, covering topics including economic relations, challenges, and cooperation.
Data from the Ministry of Commerce of China showed that the EU investment in China increased by 11.7 percent in the first quarter of this year, while the recent survey of the European Chamber of Commerce in China also suggested improved sentiment.
Lagarde said that the growth in investment indicated an enhanced confidence in China's development, and she expected that the two side will further deepen mutual understanding so that these investments could be effectively utilized and generate returns.
"Cross investment means a stronger commitment to a particular country because you actually put your money in the country, you invest and you expect the return of that investment. And I'm very pleased to hear what you have mentioned about the European Chamber of Commerce and the results of those surveys. And I think it needs to be cultivated. We need to all make sure that those investments are safe and secure, that the return on investment is safe and secure and is not under threat. We need to have a good understanding of those areas that are of high value for security purposes, for instance, on both sides, and to have a good understanding of it between us," she said.
The ECB chief highlighted China's remarkable progress in the digital currency sector, expressing the hope that Chinese and European financial institutions would continue to share know-how and collaborate to advance the development of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).
"It's an area where I think PBOC (People's Bank of China) and ECB have a lot to share and to discuss and to progress. China was ahead of its time with the digital renminbi. And we started that work about six years ago. Now China was ahead of us. It's an area where we are determined to make progress, where we think that it is going to strengthen our autonomy, our security, it will provide a European alternative to what we have available at the moment. And I think we can learn from each other a lot. So we have for a long time discussed and cooperated and will continue to do so in relation to CBDC in particular," said Lagarde.
As part of her China tour, Lagarde and PBOC governor Pan Gongsheng signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of central banking, including a framework for the regular exchange of information, dialogue and technical cooperation between the two institutions.
Lagarde noted that China's technological development had made a deep impression on her. She also praised China's rapid development, describing it as "inspiring" in the face of common challenges.
"I think we're facing the same challenges. I think we are recording a reasonably good growth number for the first half of [20]25 because of the buildup of inventory by people in the trade. So I think we'll have to be attentive to what happens in the second half of 25. But more substantively and for the longer term, I'm really impressed by the combination of robotic artificial intelligence, the continued hard work by the Chinese people. So I think the three combined and the way in which you are moving as fast as you do from innovation to product to market is quite inspiring," she said.
ECB chief welcomes growth in China-EU cross investment, eying further cooperation
