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The assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday has drawn strong condemnation from China. China has characterized the incident as a deliberate attempt to disrupt peace efforts and a clear violation of the UN Charter’s principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong, voiced significant concern about the potential for increased instability in the region. During a UN Security Council Briefing on the Middle East, Fu highlighted that Haniyeh was targeted and killed in an Israeli strike while visiting Iran. This strike has raised alarms about a possible escalation in the already volatile Gaza conflict, which has been ongoing for nearly 300 days and resulted in approximately 40,000 deaths, creating an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
Fu noted that, despite the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2735 over two months ago, there has been little progress in ceasefire negotiations. The conflict’s spillover effects are increasingly visible, with rising tensions between Lebanon and Israel, Syria and Israel, and frequent alarms in the Red Sea. The situation in the Middle East remains highly unstable, provoking widespread international concern.
In response, Fu urged all involved parties to adhere to international calls for a ceasefire and fully implement Council resolutions. He emphasized the need for active international mediation to promote de-escalation and restore peace in the region. Additionally, Fu condemned what he termed as irresponsible actions, including Israel’s recent attack on Southern Beirut. He called for an immediate halt to all military operations and collective punishment in Gaza, stressing that influential countries must intensify efforts to resolve the conflict and mitigate its humanitarian impact.