China speaks for conscience of the world at UN over horror in Gaza

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday disclosed it has issued warrants for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence chief Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed during Israel’s offensive in Gaza. The charges include allegations of Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon and directing attacks against civilians.

It was long overdue but better late than never. Of course, the two Israeli leaders will never face justice and be put on trial. But the arrest warrants are still enormously significant because they not only repudiate all the lies and propaganda spread by Israel but also implicate the full complicity of the United States in arming Israel to commit suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity.

That complicity extends to other pro-Israeli Western governments that have also provided weapons and/or diplomatic cover for Israel.

Three days before, a United Nations committee investigating the situation of the Palestinian people’s human rights presented its report to the General Assembly. It concluded that Israel’s actions in Gaza are “consistent with the characteristics of genocide”.

This came after two previous reports, by Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, concluded Israel’s actions met the threshold of genocide as defined under international law. It was in this context on Wednesday that China lashed out at the US for vetoing the latest UN ceasefire effort for Gaza, accusing Washington of bringing global governance to an “all-time low”.

Fu Cong, China’s ambassador to the UN, slammed Washington for casting the sole vote to veto a UN Security Council draft resolution for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza as well as the release of all Israeli hostages.

Fu said the US had “shattered the Gazan people’s hope for survival and pushed them further into darkness and desperation”.

“Now, nearly 44,000 people have been killed in Gaza, and the US still does not hesitate to use its veto,” he said. “This is not just a number. Behind it could be a child, a nursing mother, or a breadwinner of a family.”

The country that has accused China of committing a non-existent genocide against its own Muslim population is actually actively arming Israel for committing what many international bodies, and law and human rights experts, consider clear-cut war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

But, of course, Washington would do that, and will continue to do it under the incoming administration of Donald Trump, who has lined up a fanatically pro-Israeli cabinet.

According to The Costs of War project at Brown University, “the [US]$17.9 billion the US government has approved in security assistance for Israeli military operations in Gaza and elsewhere since October 7 – [is] substantially more than in any other year since the US began granting military aid to Israel in 1959. Yet the report describes how this is only a partial amount of the US financial support provided during this war”, which is at least US$22.76 billion.

The wholly admirable and courageous independent Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a bill to bar about US$20 billion in US arms sales to Israel. It was unceremoniously blocked in the US Senate this week.

The West began its centuries-old ascent by committing genocides around the world. Its decline is now marked by one more.