Palestine Tet – 19 – Informal comments to the media by Ambassador Zhang Jun, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, and Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations, on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. November 6, 2023
China & the United Arab Emirates on Gaza | Security Council Media Stakeout | United Nations
Ambassador Zhang Jun, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations: Good evening dear colleagues the United Arab Emirates and China called for this meeting to express grief concern at the continued attacks by Israel on hospitals, refugee camps schools, on premises, places of worship and other civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip including most recently on the Jabalia and El Mag Kazi refugee camps Al Fakhura school and the DAR El Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
As the Secretary General stated this morning this is a crisis of humanity in less than a month more than 10,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been killed and as we speak Palestinian civilians continue to be killed children are burying the bronze as several UN officials have stated already Gaza is becoming a graveyard for children.
No one is safe anymore.
More UN workers and journalists have been killed in four weeks then any other conflict in decades, if ever. Palestinian civilians are also deprived of necessities essential to their survival in the midst of this catastrophic situation. We emphasize the need for the Security Council to act with urgency and adopt a meaningful and actionable resolution.
Over the past couple of weeks members of the Security Council have been working tirelessly to this end. We call for an urgent humanitarian ceasefire. The Secretary General just made the same call this morning a humanitarian ceas fire now this is desperately needed to enable full rapid safe and unhindered humanitarian access including for UN and humanitarian personnel consistent with international humanitarian law.
We urge all parties to take steps urgently towards a cessation of hostilities to ensure the
protection of civilians. We demand that the parties to the conflict facilitate the continuous sufficient and unhindered provision of essential goods and services to all civilians throughout the Gaza Strip. This must include electricity water fuel food and medical supplies sustained and at scale necessary.
Ambassador Nusseibeh will continue.
Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations:
As we heard today in our briefings civilians in Gaza cannot even find safety in un facilities schools hospitals and refugee camps these civilian facilities have been under attack in violation of international law.
It is imperative that their protective status is upheld. We condemn all violations of international humanitarian law, all violence against civilians including all acts of terrorism and indiscriminate attacks.
We condemn the 7th October attacks by Hamas on Israel; we also condemn the indiscriminate attacks by Israel on the Gaza Strip. We express our grave concern at the continued detention of hostages and demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages as well as their safety well-being and humane treatment consistent with international law.
But the killing and maiming of children, attacks on schools and hospitals in the Gaza Strip and denying children access to humanitarian assistance are all very grave violations against children.
We call on all parties to fully comply with their obligations under International humanitarian law including the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure we reiterate the need for the parties to take measures to ensure the safety and well-being of civilians and their protection as well as humanitarian and medical personnel, UN personnel and journalists.
Wars have rules and they must be upheld. Thank you.
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