Pakistan urges UN to fully implement Gaza peace plan, warns delays threaten peace prospects

Pakistan on Tuesday urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to ensure the full implementation of the Gaza ceasefire and the peace framework approved by the Council, warning that any delay risks “irreparably compromising the prospects for a just and lasting peace” and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Addressing the UN Security Council’s open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian issue, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said the discussion provided “an important opportunity for a comprehensive assessment of the situation in the Middle East.”

He said the latest UN assessment showed that the occupied Palestinian territory remained “in a desperate situation”, adding that although the ceasefire and US President Donald Trump’s comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza had created “an important opportunity to alleviate humanitarian suffering and advance a credible path towards self-determination and Palestinian statehood”, delays in implementing the initiative required “urgent attention”.

“It is imperative to respect the commitments reflected in the peace plan and in Security Council resolution 2803 which approved it,” he said. “Failure to act now risks irreparably compromising the prospects for a just and lasting peace.”

Addressing developments in the occupied West Bank, the Pakistani envoy said the continued expansion of Israeli settlements, the establishment of new settlement outposts and the rise in settler violence were “changing the demographic and geographic character of the occupied Palestinian territory.”

He also raised concerns about what he described as the planned “Crimson Thread” project, a proposed network of 500 kilometers of military walls and roads across the Jordan Valley.

According to Ahmad, the project would isolate Palestinian communities, separate the Jordan Valley from the rest of the West Bank and “undermine the viability and territorial contiguity of a future Palestinian state.”

Read: Pakistan, Jordan discuss worsening Gaza situation, diplomatic response

The ambassador said Pakistan joined other members of the Group of Eight (G8) Arab and Islamic countries in condemning what they described as Israel’s escalation at the Al Aqsa Mosque, particularly “continued mass incursions by settlers.”

He said the group’s foreign ministers considered these actions “a blatant violation of international law, relevant UN resolutions and the historical and legal status quo in the holy sites of occupied East Jerusalem.”

In Gaza, Ahmad described the humanitarian situation as “extremely fragile”, saying that although the ceasefire and parts of the peace plan had brought some improvements, conditions remained dire.

He noted that 59% of Gaza’s population continues to face critical food insecurity, while “since the ceasefire, more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed.”

“This calls into question the full and faithful implementation of the Plan,” he said.

The ambassador added that nearly two million people remained confined to just 30% of Gaza’s territory, where they continued to endure “catastrophic living conditions.”

He also addressed reports of a “massive earth barrier” being built across Gaza, saying it would reinforce Israeli occupation and control over nearly 70 percent of the territory.

In this context, Ahmad said the Security Council must “act with unity” and outlined four immediate priorities.

First, he called on the Council to “support the full implementation of the Comprehensive Plan to End the Conflict in Gaza and Security Council Resolution 2803.”

Second, he urged the Council to “demand an immediate cessation of all settlement activities” and to reject “any attempt at annexation, forced displacement or alteration of the demographic and geographical character of the occupied Palestinian territory,” in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolution 2334.

Third, Pakistan called for “international protection for the Palestinian people,” echoing a call by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, while calling for accountability for “those responsible for crimes and violations committed against civilians.”

Finally, Ahmad called for the immediate and unconditional release of withheld Palestinian revenues to allow the Palestinian Authority “to continue providing essential public services.”

Reiterating Pakistan’s long-standing position on the conflict, the ambassador said “the only credible path to a just and lasting peace” remained the creation of “an independent, sovereign, contiguous and viable Palestinian state, based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.”

Learn more: Israeli army arrests at least 48 Palestinians in West Bank, injures 8 in attack by occupiers

Beyond the Palestinian issue, Ahmad said Pakistan remained “deeply concerned” about broader regional developments that were exacerbating tensions in the Middle East.

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all brotherly countries in the region” and urged “all parties to exercise restraint, take immediate steps towards de-escalation and fulfill their respective commitments under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.”

“Pakistan remains committed to providing all support to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region through dialogue and diplomacy,” he added.

Addressing the situation in Lebanon, Ahmad said the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 remained essential to achieving lasting peace and stability. He also expressed appreciation for “the diplomatic efforts led by the United States to consolidate the cessation of hostilities and advance lasting peace in Lebanon.”

On Syria, the ambassador called for full respect of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the Syrian government’s efforts “in this new phase.”

He said the 1974 disengagement agreement and UN Security Council resolutions 338 and 497 “must be fully respected,” adding that “Israel must abandon its illegal occupation of all Arab territories.”

On Yemen, Ahmad reiterated Pakistan’s support for “a Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political process” aimed at achieving comprehensive and lasting peace.

He condemned the attacks on Saudi Arabia as well as attacks on commercial shipping, saying such incidents threatened “global trade and regional security.”

The envoy also expressed concern over what he described as attempts to drag Saudi Arabia into the broader Middle East conflict, reiterating Pakistan’s “unwavering support for the brotherly kingdom’s security, sovereignty, territorial integrity and prosperity.”

Concluding his speech, Ahmad said lasting peace in the Middle East would remain elusive “as long as the occupation persists and the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for self-determination are met.”

He reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue to stand in “unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people” and support “all genuine efforts aimed at achieving a just, lasting and comprehensive peace based on relevant UN Security Council resolutions and international legitimacy.”

Also on Tuesday, the UN deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Ramiz Alakbarov, expressed alarm at the “rapid deterioration” of the situation in the occupied West Bank, denouncing the escalation of violence, particularly by Israeli settlers against the Palestinians.

“Over the past week, escalating violence in the West Bank has led to civilian casualties, displacement, property damage and increasing insecurity in affected communities,” he said.

“Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian communities, homes, places of worship and civilian infrastructure have persisted at alarming levels,” he said. Violence has exploded in the West Bank since the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7, 2023, with almost daily attacks by Israeli settlers and regular raids on Palestinian villages.