A Chinese envoy on Wednesday strongly condemned the assassination of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who died in an overnight air strike in Tehran, Iran. The envoy denounced the assassination as a flagrant act of sabotage against ongoing peace efforts and a reckless violation of international principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“China is deeply concerned about the potential for this incident to further destabilize the region,” Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, emphasized during an emergency UN Security Council meeting.

The Gaza conflict, which has raged for nearly 300 days, has resulted in the deaths of almost 40,000 people and an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Despite the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2735 over two months ago, ceasefire negotiations have stalled. The conflict’s repercussions are now spilling over into neighboring areas, with frequent incidents in Lebanon-Israel, Syria-Israel, and the Red Sea, placing the Middle East in a more precarious situation.

Fu called on all involved parties to heed the international community’s call for a ceasefire, fully implement the Security Council resolution, and actively cooperate with international mediation efforts. He urged practical actions to de-escalate the situation and restore regional peace and stability, rather than continuing provocative and dangerous actions.

China strongly opposes and condemns recent irresponsible actions, including Israel’s attacks on southern Beirut, said Fu. He reiterated that military solutions and the misuse of force are not viable paths to resolution and will only escalate the crisis further.

Highlighting the immediate cause of the ongoing deterioration, Fu pointed to the failure to implement a ceasefire in Gaza, urging all parties to align with the international consensus for an immediate ceasefire to save lives, alleviate humanitarian disasters, and contain the conflict’s spillover effects.

The Chinese envoy called on Israel to cease all military actions in Gaza and appealed to influential countries to exert pressure on the parties involved to quell the fire in Gaza and foster a return to peace.