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China Hopes US Will Abide by Int'l Law After 'Non-Binding' Gaza Resolution Remark in UNSC

BEIJING (Sputnik) - China hopes that the United States will stop "putting itself above everyone else" and jointly work with other UN member states to fulfill its international obligations, after the US described a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as "non-binding," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday.
Sputnik
On March 25, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2728 calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The motion was sponsored by the 10 non-permanent members of the UNSC. Fourteen countries voted in favor, while the US abstained. US envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield opined that the resolution was "non-binding."
"We hope the US will change its old habit of putting itself above everyone else and, as a member of the UN, work with other member states to fulfill its international obligations, support Resolution 2728 and push for a comprehensive ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible, saving the Palestinian people from their plight," Wang was quoted by the ministry as saying following a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi.
Analysis
US Defense of Israel Shows West 'Has Never Been Committed' to International Law
Wang said that every UN member state knew that the decisions made by the Security Council in accordance with the UN Charter were binding for all countries.
The minister also recommended that US officials "brush up on the basics of international law," as there are no "exceptions" when it comes to respecting international law.
On October 7, 2023, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel and breached the border, attacking both civilian neighborhoods and military bases. Nearly 1,200 people in Israel were killed and some 240 others abducted during the attack. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Nearly 33,900 people have been killed so far by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to local authorities.
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