UNITED NATIONS (Dunya News) – Pakistan’s permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, Ambassador Munir Akram, on Wednesday told an emergency meeting of the Security Council that Pakistan supports an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. China, Russia and the UAE convened the meeting to discuss the worsening situation in the Gaza.
Pakistan expressed regret over the United States veto on a U.N.Security Council resolution earlier in the day that would have called for “humanitarian pauses” to deliver life-saving aid to millions pf traumatized people in embattled Gaza.
The resolution, sponsored by Brazil, had wide support and would have also condemned all violence against civilians. The vote in the 15-member Council was 12 votes in favour to one (United States) against, with Russia and China abstaining.
Referring to today’s vote, Ambassador Akram said, “Although the Brazilian resolution needed considerable improvement in our view, we were surprised at the Council’s inability to adopt it due to the veto cast by a permanent member.”
He added, “A heavy responsibility rests on those who have contributed to the prolongation of consistent bombing of Gaza’s citizens that is taking place.”
The Pakistani envoy also regretted that the Security Council was unable to issue a call for a ceasefire, due to the opposition and insufficient support for the resolution proposed by the Russia a day before, and for the Russian amendments to the Brazilian resolution calling for a ceasefire this morning.
“Today is the eleventh day of relentless, catastrophic Israeli attacks on Gaza. All of Gaza is under militarily siege, and electricity, water, and all humanitarian aid channels have been cut off. The entire population of Gaza – women, children, and elderly – are being collectively punished by the indiscriminate Israeli attacks”, Ambassador Akram said
Pakistan, he said, strongly condemns Israeli air strikes and military incursions into Gaza, the killing of civilians, and the large-scale displacement of an already occupied and battered people.
“The laws of war and the international humanitarian law, especially the Geneva Conventions must be strictly observed.”
Ambassador Akram also “strongly and unequivocally” condemned Israel’s cowardly and criminal attack on the Al-Ahley hospital in Gaza on Tuesday, killing hundreds, mostly sick and wounded Palestinian children, women and men.
“This willful atrocity, an attack on a hospital, which enjoys explicit protection under international law, is clearly a war crime and a crime against humanity,” he said, adding those responsible must be held accountable through an international inquiry and accountability process.
Despite the paralysis in the Security Council today, Ambassador Akram hoped that the General Assembly and the UN Secretary-General and the UN agencies will be able to halt the conflict, secure the opening of humanitarian corridors to ensure food, water and medicines, fuel and other essential supplies to the Palestinians in Gaza and prevent the displacement of the Palestinian population of Gaza.