Israeli soldiers take part in a ground operation in Gaza City's Shijaiyah neighborhood, Dec 8, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)
China's top envoy to the United Nations visited the Rafah crossing on Monday, the only border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, joined other Security Council diplomats on the visit organized by the United Arab Emirates, with the aim of assessing the humanitarian situation and challenges faced by the Palestinians.
The delegation attended a series of briefings by Egyptian and UAE agencies on the ongoing efforts to provide humanitarian and medical aid.
The visit included discussions with heads of UN agencies and on-site inspections of key facilities, such as the border crossing, humanitarian warehouses, hospitals and desalination plants, according to a news release by China's mission to the UN.
"Paid a field trip to Rafah today with Security Council colleagues. A great initiative by the UAE Mission to UN," Zhang said on the social media platform X on Monday.
"We saw the long queue of trucks waiting for passage to Gaza. We met with medical workers who were helping the Palestinians with courage and dedication. We heard the strong voice calling for peace from the young volunteers. We discussed with UN humanitarian teams on the ground the serious situation they are facing.
"The war must stop now. We must also double our humanitarian efforts to help the Palestinians who are struggling with the unprecedented catastrophe in Gaza," Zhang said on X.
"Esteemed Zhang Jun, our world needs more peace and fewer wars. Let's find ways to peacefully dialogue instead of conflict so we can bring understanding and harmony. May the future be free from war, granting generations hope in a peaceful world," said one comment under his post.
Zhang conveyed his appreciation to Egypt, the UAE and UN agencies for "their proactive measures in assisting the Palestinian people during a critical period", the news release said.
'Unremitting efforts'
Zhang said China has been "making unremitting efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at an early date and has provided urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian side".
China will continue to urge the Security Council to play a responsible role in making the realization of a cease-fire a matter of utmost urgency on the one hand while promoting the expansion of humanitarian access on the other, so as to alleviate the suffering endured by the Palestinian people.
The UN General Assembly is due to vote on Tuesday on a resolution demanding "an immediate humanitarian cease-fire" in Gaza after the United States vetoed a Security Council resolution on Friday.
As the conflict has intensified, how and where Israel uses weapons from the US have come under more scrutiny, even though US officials say there are no plans to put conditions on military aid to Israel or to consider withholding some of it.
Washington found images circulating on social media showing Palestinian men detained in Gaza in their underwear "deeply disturbing" and asked Israel to clarify the circumstances around the photographs, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. Israel has said the men were stripped to make sure they were not hiding explosives or weapons.
The White House also said on Monday it was concerned about reports that Israel used US-supplied white phosphorus munitions in an October attack in southern Lebanon and was seeking more information. The munitions, which can be legally used on battlefields to make smoke screens among other uses, can cause serious burns.
Israel said an allegation by some rights groups that it uses white phosphorus munitions in Gaza and Lebanon was "unequivocally false".
Meanwhile, aid agencies said hunger was worsening in Gaza. The UN's World Food Programme said half of the population is starving.
"Hunger stalks everyone," UNRWA, the UN body responsible for Palestinian refugees, said on X.
Gazans said people forced to flee repeatedly were dying of hunger and cold as well as the bombardments.
Agencies contributed to this story.
