Pakistan has demanded urgent action by UN Security Council to end Israeli atrocities in Gaza, calling on the world body not to remain “a bystander” amid the deepening humanitarian crisis in war-shattered Gaza, with Israeli military operations and attacks on civilians seeking aid continuing to exact a devastating toll on lives and infrastructure.

Speaking during the UN Security Councils’ briefing on the Middle East, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad told the 15-member Council that Israel must halt all military operations in Gaza and the West Bank.

“A permanent ceasefire must be established without delay.” He said the blockade on humanitarian aid must be fully lifted and that the UN and humanitarian organizations must have safe and unimpeded access to deliver assistance. The Pakistani envoy called on the UN Security Council not to remain “a bystander” amid the deepening humanitarian crisis in war-shattered Gaza.

“The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza defies comprehension,” he added. The total number of Palestinian fatalities since 7 October 2023 has surpassed 56,500, mostly women and children, according to Gazan health authorities. Monday’s briefing was convened pursuant to Council resolution 2334 (2016), which requests the UN secretary-general to report every three months on its implementation.

The resolution demands that Israel cease all settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. However, discussions extended beyond its scope, covering the risk of famine in Gaza and aid delivery conducted by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — a non-UN mechanism established with support from Israel and the United States.

In sharply-worded remarks, the Pakistani envoy described the “new aid distribution mechanism” as not only contrary to international humanitarian law and human dignity, it also places starving civilians in direct danger, forcing them to cross active combat zones in search of food and water. “The result is a grotesque cycle of horror: over 500 people have been killed while trying to access humanitarian aid,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar said, adding, “This is a death trap.”

“There is no need to reinvent the wheel with militarized, dangerous and unlawful schemes,” he said, pointing out that the UN already has a proven humanitarian delivery system, grounded in humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence. “What is needed is unhindered access and the political will to let the UN do its job,” the Pakistani envoy added.

Noting that the violence is not confined to Gaza, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar said that Israel had intensified its military raids, expanded illegal settlements, and enabled unchecked settler violence in the Occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in ‘blatant’ violation of international law. “The failure to enforce the Council’s own decisions carries grave consequences for global peace and security and undermines the Council’s own authority and credibility,” he added.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)