Pakistan urges UN to enforce Gaza peace Plan

Speaking during a UN Security Council debate on the Middle East, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said the current situation presented

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to ensure the immediate and complete implementation of the Gaza ceasefire and the UN-backed peace framework, warning that continued delays could jeopardise hopes for lasting peace and the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

Speaking during a UN Security Council debate on the Middle East, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said the current situation presented a critical opportunity to advance peace but stressed that urgent action was needed to prevent further deterioration.

He said the ceasefire and the internationally endorsed peace initiative offered a pathway to reduce humanitarian suffering and support Palestinian self-determination. However, he cautioned that failure to fully implement the agreement and Security Council Resolution 2803 would seriously undermine efforts to achieve a just and durable settlement.

The Pakistani envoy voiced concern over developments in the occupied West Bank, accusing Israel of expanding settlements, establishing new outposts and allowing increased settler violence, which he said was changing the demographic and geographic landscape of the occupied territories.

He also criticised the proposed “Crimson Thread” project, describing it as a network of military infrastructure that would isolate Palestinian communities, divide the Jordan Valley from the rest of the West Bank and weaken the prospects of a contiguous Palestinian state.

Addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Ahmad said conditions remained extremely fragile despite the ceasefire. He noted that millions of Palestinians continued to face severe hardship, with widespread food insecurity, continued civilian casualties and large-scale displacement raising concerns over the full implementation of the peace plan.

Pakistan urged the Security Council to take immediate action by ensuring the ceasefire agreement is fully enforced, demanding an end to Israeli settlement expansion, rejecting annexation and forced displacement, providing international protection for Palestinian civilians and ensuring the release of withheld Palestinian revenues to support essential public services.

Reaffirming Islamabad’s longstanding position, Ahmad said the only sustainable solution remained the establishment of an independent, sovereign and viable Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif (East Jerusalem) as its capital.

The ambassador also expressed concern over wider instability across the Middle East, urging all parties to exercise restraint and pursue dialogue to prevent further escalation. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of regional states and backed diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring peace in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.

Highlighting concerns over attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and commercial shipping routes, Ahmad said such actions threatened regional stability and global trade, while reiterating Pakistan’s unwavering support for Saudi Arabia’s security and sovereignty.

Concluding his address, the Pakistani envoy said lasting peace in the Middle East would remain impossible as long as occupation continued and the Palestinian people were denied their right to self-determination. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to supporting international efforts aimed at achieving a comprehensive and lasting peace based on UN resolutions and international law.