Israeli policies say illegal actions undermine prospects for viable Palestinian state
Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad during the meeting on the situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Photo:X
Pakistan warned the UN Security Council on Saturday that Israeli settlement expansion and annexation measures in the occupied West Bank were destroying prospects for a viable Palestinian state and urged “influential” nations to hold Israel accountable.
Speaking at the Council meeting on the West Bank, convened by the United Kingdom, France and other Council members, UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad condemned Israel’s efforts to transform “de facto annexation into de jure control” through new legislative and administrative measures.
“The systematic annexation of the occupied West Bank, expansion of illegal settlements, demolitions, land seizures and forced displacement of Palestinians continues unabated, and this demands our attention,” he said. “Israeli policies and illegal actions, of unprecedented scale and impact, are undermining the prospects for a viable Palestinian state.”
Ahmad said recent Israeli actions, including land confiscation mechanisms and expansion of settlement authority, violated international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention. He called for an immediate reversal of this policy.
Statement by Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad,
Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN,
At the Arria Formula meeting on the situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem
(May 8, 2026)
****
We thank the United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Greece and Latvia for organizing this… pic.twitter.com/hFWPzyOjqC— Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN (@PakistanUN_NY) May 8, 2026
The ambassador said settlement expansion had accelerated sharply in recent years, noting that Israel had approved 102 new settlements in nearly four years.
He also criticized the controversial E-1 settlement project near East Jerusalem, warning that it would make the creation of a geographically contiguous Palestinian state impossible.
Pakistan has also expressed concern over rising violence by the occupiers, citing UN data showing that the year 2025 saw the highest number of occupier attacks against Palestinians since documentation began in 2006.
Learn more: 60 former British ambassadors warn against Israel’s annexation measures in the West Bank
Reaffirming Pakistan’s support for a two-state solution, he said lasting peace required an end to Israeli occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The meeting was organized by the permanent missions of Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia and the United Kingdom to provide Security Council members with the opportunity to hear testimony on the challenges faced by Palestinians living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
