Beijing faults US for failure to reach Gaza ceasefire

China has blamed the United States government for the failure to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza as the Israeli conflict approaches its first anniversary.

Chinese Ambassador Geng Shuang addressed the UN Security Council on Monday, stating, “Had the US not shielded one side time and again, multiple resolutions of this Council would not have been flagrantly rejected and defied.”

Ambassador Geng emphasised the devastating consequences of the ongoing conflict, which began on October 7 last year, saying, “Over the past year, despite strong joint international calls for a ceasefire and the cessation of killings, Israel has not halted its military operations, which have led to the death of over 41,000 Palestinian civilians. This is alarming. This is past belief.”

Geng questioned the Security Council’s effectiveness in maintaining international peace and security, asking, “Why has it been unable to stop this human tragedy, the worst of its kind to this day?”

He further stressed that US interference has hindered the Council’s ability to adopt a ceasefire resolution, noting, “As the analysis points out, had the United States not stood in the way on all those occasions, the Council could have adopted a resolution demanding a ceasefire early on after the conflict erupted.

Israel has violently descended on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian fighters, Hamas, last 7 October, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.

The bloody attacks have killed more than 41,200 people, mostly women and children, while over 95,400 have been severely wounded, according to local health authorities.