Pakistan Urges UN to Enforce Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza
Pakistan has renewed its call for urgent international action to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and secure long-term peace across the Middle East. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, speaking at the United Nations Security Council’s Open Debate on the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question, on Wednesday, urged the Council to pursue a permanent and unconditional ceasefire and ensure unrestricted humanitarian assistance to the besieged Palestinian territories.
Dar highlighted the dire situation in Gaza, describing it as “a graveyard for innocent lives and for international law,” pointing to systematic attacks on hospitals, schools, refugee camps, and aid convoys. He warned of a deepening hunger crisis, noting that a third of Gaza’s population is going days without food, which he said signaled catastrophic food insecurity if global efforts do not intensify.
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The Deputy Prime Minister underscored that urgent measures are needed to restore humanitarian supply lines, deliver life-saving food and medical aid, and prevent further forced displacement. He called for renewed and strengthened international support for UNRWA, the UN agency assisting Palestinian refugees, terming it indispensable for millions of people dependent on its services.
Dar also urged the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2735, demanding an end to illegal settlement expansion and annexation of Palestinian lands, particularly in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. He welcomed growing global momentum toward Palestinian statehood and full UN membership, reaffirming Pakistan’s stance in favor of a sovereign Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as its capital.
Looking ahead, Dar pointed to the upcoming International Conference on the Two-State Solution, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, as a key opportunity to revive the political process and achieve durable peace in the region. He stressed that international law, dialogue, and diplomacy — not force — must guide efforts to resolve the decades-old conflict.
The Pakistani foreign minister also addressed wider regional tensions, advocating for peaceful solutions to conflicts in Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. He called for Israel’s immediate withdrawal from the Syrian Golan Heights in line with Security Council Resolutions 242, 338, and 497 and emphasized respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty under Resolution 1701. In Yemen, he urged continued support for the UN-facilitated peace process led by Saudi Arabia and Oman.
Dar condemned recent Israeli military actions in Iran and stressed that multilateral diplomacy remains vital to achieving stability in the broader Middle East. He warned that failure to act decisively on the Palestinian crisis would not only deepen human suffering but also undermine the credibility of the United Nations and the international rules-based order.
“Justice, freedom, dignity, and a state — these are the rights long denied to the Palestinian people,” Dar stated. “Providing them is the only path to lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.”
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