The attack on Minab elementary school, which claimed the lives of 168 schoolgirls, represents an atrocity that crosses the bottom line of human morality, constitutes the greatest violation of human rights, and shows blatant contempt for international humanitarian law. China is deeply shocked and strongly condemns the attack, and expresses profound sympathy to the families of the victims, Ambassador Jia Guide, China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva and Other International Organizations in Switzerland, said on Friday.

According to CCTV News, Jia made the remarks at the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council, which held an urgent debate on the attack on an elementary school in Minab, Iran, at the request of Iran, China and Cuba. Jia attended the meeting and stated China's position.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Friday at the urgent debate that more than 600 schools across Iran have been demolished or damaged since the US and Israel launched military actions against the country on February 28, with over 1,000 students and teachers killed or injured.

On February 28, the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab was struck during US operations targeting a nearby Iranian military base. An investigation has preliminarily determined that the strike resulted from a targeting error, according to The New York Times on March 11.

The US and Israel launched strikes against Iran without authorization from the UN Security Council, which Jia said is the root cause of this tragedy. The US and Israel have not only killed Iranian leaders and seriously violated the human rights of the Iranian people, but also escalated tensions in the Middle East and drawn regional countries into the conflict, Jia said.

The sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of all countries must be fully respected. China strongly condemns all acts that violate international law and indiscriminately target civilians and non-military facilities, the ambassador said.

All hotspot issues should be resolved through dialogue and negotiation rather than force. All parties should seize every opportunity and window for peace, initiate talks with sincerity, and take concrete actions to protect the fundamental human rights of people in the region and safeguard peace and stability in the Middle East, Jia said.