Islamabad also urges return of displaced Palestinians and accountability for Israel’s actions
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan welcomed the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution on Monday, which called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during the holy month of Ramazan.
“We also welcome the Security Council’s call for allowing the free flow of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, lifting all barriers to its provision, and ensuring the protection of civilians throughout the Gaza Strip,” stated a press release issued by the Foreign Office hours after the UNSC decision.
The statement highlighted Pakistan’s consistent condemnation over the past six months of Israel’s indiscriminate use of force, urging for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian aid to Gaza’s besieged population, the return of displaced Palestinians, and accountability for Israel’s actions.
“We urge the swift implementation of the Security Council resolution adopted today, hoping it will mark the first step toward ending Israel’s brutal attacks, securing a lasting ceasefire, and addressing the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” the statement emphasised.
Pakistan pledged to continue supporting a just, comprehensive, and lasting solution by advocating for the establishment of a secure, viable, contiguous, and sovereign State of Palestine based on the pre-June 1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Earlier, the UNSC passed the resolution with the US abstaining from voting, marking the first successful adoption of such a resolution after previous attempts were vetoed by the US, a staunch ally of Israel.
The remaining 14 council members voted for the resolution, which was proposed by the 10 elected members of the body.
Israel reacted strongly to the US decision not to block the resolution, leading to the cancellation of a planned trip by its delegation to Washington this week.
Washington had been averse to the word ceasefire earlier in the nearly six-month-old war in the Gaza Strip and had used its veto power shield US ally Israel as it retaliated against Hamas for an Oct. 7 attack that Israel says killed 1,200 people.
But amid growing global pressure for a truce in the war that has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians, the US abstained from the vote on Monday to allow the Security Council to demand an immediate ceasefire for the month of the Muslim fasting month of Ramazan, which ends in two weeks.
“The United States support for these objectives is not simply rhetorical. We’re working around the clock to make them real on the ground through diplomacy, because we know that it is only through diplomacy that we can push this agenda forward,” said US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
“A ceasefire can begin immediately with the release of the first hostage and so we must put pressure on Hamas to do just that,” she said.
Thomas-Greenfield said the US abstained from the vote because it did not agree with everything in the resolution and the text did not include a condemnation of Hamas.
