China blasts attacks on schools as US 1st lady presides over UN meeting

ISTANBUL

China launched a broadside attack against acts that target children in conflict zones as the US first lady Melania Trump presided over a session of the UN Security Council in New York, amid regional escalation in the Middle East which left dozens of girl students dead in Iran.

The sitting Monday of the top UN body came two days after US-Israeli airstrikes Saturday killed dozens of students in the southern Iranian city of Minab, according to Tehran.

It is first time that any first lady has chaired the Security Council session, which debated “Children, Technology, and Education in Conflict.”

Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong said China “strongly condemns” all acts that target children and urges all parties to conflicts to fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law, protect children from the ravages of war, and uphold the most basic human conscience.

“Attacks on schools are one of the six most serious crimes against children recognized by the United Nations and should be severely condemned and resolutely resisted,” said Fu, according to a transcript of his statement.

Fu did not, however, directly note the US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran, which killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and 786 others, including 163 girl students.

He urged the international community to hold those responsible for harming children or damaging schools accountable, and work together to alleviate the educational difficulties faced by children in conflict zones.

Referring to the devastated Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip, Fu stressed that all parties must prioritize the interests and well-being of Palestinian civilians.

“The Gaza conflict has cast a dark shadow over an entire generation of Palestinian children,” he said, urging Israel to fully comply with ceasefire agreements, lift humanitarian access restrictions and end the suffering of children.

Since the genocidal war launched by Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, it has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and wounded over 171,000, most of them women and children, and destroyed about 90% of civilian infrastructure in the territory.

Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, speaking before the meeting, called it “deeply shameful and hypocritical” for Washington to convene a session on protecting children while launching strikes on Iran.

Regional tensions have escalated since Saturday when the US and Israel initiated a military campaign against Iran.

Tehran retaliated with drone and missile attacks targeting US-linked sites in Gulf countries, causing multiple fatalities, including the deaths of six US service members, and injuring many others.

Air and maritime routes have been disrupted in the region with calls for de-escalation.