UN chief calls for ceasefire in Gaza

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for a ceasefire in Gaza following the suspension of the 12-day war between Israel and Iran.

The conflict between Israel and Iran has dominated headlines, but the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza must not be pushed into the shadows, said Guterres. "The ceasefire achieved between Iran and Israel offers hope. And hope is more needed than ever. So it is time to find the political courage for a ceasefire in Gaza."

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UN chief calls for ceasefire in Gaza

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UN chief calls for ceasefire in Gaza

"Let me be clear: Israel, as the occupying power, is required by international law to agree to and to facilitate humanitarian relief," he said, noting that UN-led humanitarian operations continue to be strangled.

Families have been displaced again and again, and are now confined to less than one-fifth of Gaza's land. And even these shrinking spaces are under threat. Bombs are falling -- on tents, on families, on those with nowhere left to run. People are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families, he noted.

For over three months, shelter materials and fuel for critical services have been blocked. Doctors are forced to choose who gets the last vial of medicine, or the last ventilator. Aid workers themselves are starving, he said. "This cannot be normalized."

A handful of medical supplies finally crossed into Gaza earlier this week -- the first from the United Nations in months. But this only underscores the vast scale of the crisis. A trickle of aid is not enough, he said. "What's needed now is a surge -- the trickle must become an ocean. We need concrete actions so aid can reach all people -- swiftly, at scale, wherever they are."

The only sustainable path to re-establishing hope is by paving the way to the two-state solution. Diplomacy and human dignity for all must prevail, he said.

According to a statement released by Gaza's Government Media Office on Friday, at least 549 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces while trying to access humanitarian supplies in the past four weeks. A further 4,066 were injured, and 39 remain missing at or near US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution sites.

According to the Palestinian Civil Defense Department in the Gaza Strip, 62 Palestinians were killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza on Friday, including 10 people who had been waiting for humanitarian aid.

Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, met with the European Parliament's delegation for relations with China led by chair Engin Eroglu in Beijing on Wednesday.

Li, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China is willing to work with the European Union (EU) to strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, deepen cooperation, and pursue mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

He said China stands ready to join hands with the EU to address global challenges, promote exchanges and cooperation among legislative bodies, effectively utilize communication mechanisms, and advance the sound and stable development of China-EU relations.

Eroglu said the EU stands ready to work with China to contribute to the development of EU-China relations.