China urges Israel to implement cease-fire

Despite a United Nations Security Council cease-fire resolution, there have been continuous attacks on Gaza, said China's ambassador to the UN, urging Israel to heed international calls for an immediate cease-fire.

The council adopted a resolution this month endorsing a three-phase cease-fire deal proposed by the United States. The US said Israel had already accepted the ceasefire proposal.

"Unfortunately, to date, we have not seen concrete signs from Israel indicating an agreement to achieve a lasting cease-fire," Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, said.

Instead, Israel continued its large-scale military operations, attacking multiple refugee camps in the Gaza Strip, he said. The attacks have caused major casualties and put humanitarian organizations, such as the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and the International Committee of the Red Cross, in danger, he said.

"An immediate cease-fire must be implemented, and once achieved, there must be no restart of the war," Fu emphasized.

The US blamed Hamas for stalling the cease-fire resolution, saying that Hamas ignored voices from the international community.

Stance reiterated

Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas' political bureau, reiterated on Tuesday that any cease-fire proposal for the Gaza Strip that does not guarantee a full Israeli troop pullout from the enclave "is unacceptable".

Haniyeh also called on the international community to help secure a cease-fire, deliver aid and supply provisions to the people in Gaza.

Fu also voiced his concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza. He said Israel's military actions threatened humanitarian workers and called its accusations of inaction by the agencies "unacceptable".

He called on Israel to protect humanitarian workers and ensure that sufficient supplies enter Gaza swiftly and are delivered safely to those in need.

The UN has told Israel that it will suspend aid operations across Gaza unless urgent steps are taken to protect humanitarian workers. In April, Israel's military strikes killed seven workers of the World Central Kitchen. The UN World Food Programme has suspended aid delivery from a US-built pier due to security concerns.

A UN report released on Tuesday said Gaza is facing "a high and sustained risk of famine". It said 96 percent of the population in Gaza, or about 2.15 million people, face acute food insecurity at "crisis" levels or higher. Almost half a million people are enduring "catastrophic "conditions, the report said.

China is also deeply concerned about reports of Israel preparing a military attack on Lebanon, Fu said. "The situation in the Middle East is very precarious, and the world cannot afford for Lebanon to become another Gaza," he said.

Agencies and Xinhua contributed to this story.