Pakistan pushes for unified OIC action on Palestine at UN gathering in New York

Pakistan’s foreign minister called for tighter coordination among Islamic Cooperation Organisation member states to protect Palestinians and uphold international law, telling a UN sidelines meeting that the Gaza ceasefire continues to break down on an almost daily basis.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar addressed the OIC Committee of Six on Palestine on Tuesday during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, warning that violations of the ceasefire agreement remain a persistent and unresolved problem. He said the Palestinian cause remains central to the OIC and to what he called the collective conscience of the Muslim Ummah, and stressed that the committee carries a responsibility to build political and diplomatic backing for the Palestinian people.

Dar told the gathering that the situation in the occupied West Bank and Gaza continues to demand urgent attention, even as recent diplomacy has opened space for a political process. He described the humanitarian conditions as dire and the security environment as extremely fragile. He welcomed the mediation roles played by the United States, Qatar and Turkiye in advancing a comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict, a framework endorsed under UN Security Council Resolution 2803, which was adopted in November 2025 and calls for maintaining the ceasefire alongside broader implementation steps.

Turning to the West Bank, Dar said Israeli settlement expansion, settler violence and what he termed annexationist policies continue to threaten the territorial integrity of Palestinian land and undermine the prospects for a viable future Palestinian state. He also condemned repeated incursions by Israeli settlers at Al Aqsa Mosque and the wider Al Haram Al Sharif compound, calling the actions a clear violation of international law, relevant UN resolutions and the long standing arrangements governing Jerusalem’s holy sites.

The Pakistani foreign minister outlined six priorities he wants the Committee of Six to pursue going forward. These include preserving the historical and legal arrangements at Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites, rejecting Israeli settlement expansion and forced displacement in occupied Palestinian territory, ensuring that any reconstruction and governance plans for Gaza remain Palestinian led with the Palestinian Authority playing a central role, and pursuing accountability for violations of international humanitarian law. He said the ultimate goal must be a credible, irreversible and time bound political process leading to an independent, sovereign and contiguous Palestinian state.

Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s longstanding position favoring a Palestinian state built on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, along with full Palestinian membership at the United Nations. He said OIC member states carry a particular responsibility to convert collective solidarity into coordinated diplomatic action, describing Pakistan’s support for the Palestinian people as steadfast.

Later Tuesday, Dar joined a separate ministerial meeting of the Regional Four grouping, which brings together Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt for consultations on regional issues. According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the four ministers exchanged views on the current regional situation and expressed full support for efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution. Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the R4 framework and stressed the need for continued engagement to strengthen regional peace and prosperity.

The R4 ministers also reiterated support for what they called the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self determination, backing the establishment of an independent, sovereign and contiguous Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions.

Pakistan’s renewed push for OIC coordination arrives as the broader Middle East faces mounting instability well beyond Gaza. The General Assembly gathering this week has drawn attention from multiple directions, from an escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement to continuing tension between Iran and the United States over the Strait of Hormuz, leaving diplomats juggling several overlapping regional crises at once. Dar’s appearances reflect Islamabad’s effort to keep the Palestinian issue from being overshadowed by these newer flashpoints, positioning Pakistan as an active voice pushing OIC members to translate verbal solidarity into sustained, coordinated diplomatic pressure at the United Nations and other international forums.