Veto should not be abused by the US at Security Council

China has condemned the US veto of the Gaza ceasefire resolution at the United Nations Security Council.

Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, said at Wednesday's General Assembly, which was convened in response to the recent Security Council veto to address the escalating crisis in Gaza and consider the next steps for peace and accountability, that the US had abused its veto power.

He said that if the United States had not repeatedly abused its veto, the Security Council's response to the Gaza crisis would have been more effective, and that if Washington had not offered unconditional protection to Israel, Security Council resolutions and international law would not have been violated so recklessly.

On Sept 18, the United States vetoed a draft resolution at the UN Security Council for the sixth time. The resolution called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza as well as the release of hostages. Although 14 of the 15 Council members voted in favor, the measure was blocked by the US veto.

The US representative said his delegation vetoed the resolution because it "failed to condemn Hamas and it failed to recognize Israel's right to defend itself, amongst other serious defects". He said that his country could not support a text that does not call on Hamas to disarm, does not call for an immediate release of hostages, and "does not acknowledge the problems with aid diversion in the Gaza Strip."

Assembly President Annalena Baerbock told the 193-member organ that "a raised hand", "a simple 'no'" may appear routine when a permanent member of the Council casts a veto, but the impact is anything but ordinary.

"A veto can extinguish hope for those trapped in conflict. It falls hardest on those who turn to the United Nations for peace, for relief, for a path out of suffering, for hope. And when it results in constant blockages, it can damage the credibility of this whole institution," Baerbock said.

"The veto is not a privilege. It's a responsibility, entrusted to five nations to be exercised rarely in the spirit of peace and security for all," she said. "Lives like those in Gaza, where the situation is catastrophic. In the past days, weeks and months, men, women and children have been killed, by sheltering or waiting for food."

The tragedy in Gaza must not continue, Fu said. He added that China welcomes all efforts to de-escalate the current situation.

Fu said an immediate and lasting ceasefire is needed.

Fu said that history has repeatedly shown that military means cannot resolve the conflict, and that no country's security can be built on the insecurity of others. The ongoing war has already claimed the lives of more than 66,000 people in Gaza, and prolonging the violence will only bring more deaths and hatred, Fu said.

He said Gaza is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis under man-made blockades. It reiterated that weaponizing humanitarian supplies, militarizing distribution mechanisms, and attacking civilians or aid workers seeking food and relief are unacceptable.

China urged Israel, as the occupying power, to comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law, restore full access for humanitarian aid, and support relief efforts by the UN and other agencies.

Fu said the two-state solution is the only viable path, stressing that Gaza and the West Bank are integral Palestinian territory and that post-war arrangements must be "Palestinians governing Palestine." He urged concrete, irreversible steps toward this goal and opposition to unilateral measures.