Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), urged Israel to guarantee humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip and to stop the forced displacement of Palestinians during a UN Security Council session on July 16. UN humanitarian officials warned that Gaza faces extreme shortages of food, medicine, fuel and power, with Israeli restrictions making aid delivery nearly impossible. Fu also opposed what he called the "politicization and weaponization" of aid and demanded an end to Israel's blockade.