Pakistan calls for end to Israeli occupation, settlement expansion in Palestine

Pakistan has called on the international community to take effective steps to end the continued Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, stressing that lasting peace cannot be achieved as settlement expansion, settler violence and forced displacement persist. Speaking at the UN Security Council, Pakistan's Permanent Representative Asim Iftikhar Ahmad highlighted the worsening situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and questioned the continuation of Israeli attacks despite the ceasefire. He said more than 1,200 Palestinians had been killed since the ceasefire, questioning how the truce could be considered effective while attacks continued. 14 newborns who died in PIMS nursery fire laid to rest amid grief Asim Iftikhar called for an end to illegal Israeli settlements and the forced displacement of Palestinians. He also stressed that the annexation of occupied territories must not be accepted, noting that all Security Council members opposed such actions. He urged the international community to hold those responsible for war crimes and other serious violations accountable, saying lasting peace required justice alongside political commitments. Reaffirming Pakistan's support for the Palestinian people, he said Islamabad would continue to stand by them in their struggle for self-determination. UN mobilizes supplies, personnel after severe flooding in Nepal Pakistan, he added, believed that a just and comprehensive settlement was the only way to achieve lasting peace in the region. He reiterated Islamabad's support for an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.