UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 23 (INP): A Chinese envoy said that an immediate cease-fire in Gaza is imperative and that the essence of any Security Council action is to achieve an immediate cease-fire. The U.S. veto of an Algerian-drafted resolution on Tuesday meant that the Security Council missed yet another opportunity to push for a cease-fire in Gaza.  The continuation of the conflict even for another day would cause even more civilian casualties and lead to a greater catastrophe.  An immediate cease-fire in Gaza is an urgent imperative to save innocent lives and to prevent a wider war, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations. "An immediate cease-fire is the common wish voiced by the international community and the consensus of the Security Council's overwhelming majority," he told the Security Council.

China is aware that the United States has tabled its own draft resolution. China hopes that the United States will show a responsible attitude, respond positively to the international call, and respect the established consensus among Security Council members, said Zhang. "We need to point out that the essence of any action of this council is to achieve an immediate cease-fire. Any message sent out via our action must be clear, unequivocal, unambiguous, and unmistakable, rather than prevaricate or beat about the bush," he said.  "At this point, the Council needs to demonstrate a strong resolve rather than negotiating skills only." The military offensive into Rafah must cease immediately, he said, according to XINHUA.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China