NEW YORK (Dunya News) - Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Asim Iftikhar, on Friday declared Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank a violation of international law.
Addressing a United Nations meeting on the West Bank, Asim Iftikhar said that the forced displacement of Palestinians is unacceptable and expressed concern over the increasing attacks by Israeli settlers in the region.
He said that the international community should ensure Israel complies with international law. He also said that Israel’s withholding of tax revenues is an attempt to weaken the Palestinian economy.
Asim Iftikhar further added that the only sustainable solution for lasting peace in the Middle East is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
He said that expanding Israeli settlements and annexation measures in the occupied West Bank are destroying the prospects for a viable Palestinian state and urged “influential” nations to hold Israel accountable.
Asim Iftikhar Ahmad condemned Israel’s efforts to transform “de facto annexation into de jure control” through new legislative and administrative measures.
"The systematic annexation of the occupied West Bank, expansion of illegal settlements, demolitions, land seizures, and forced displacement of Palestinians continue unabated, and this requires our attention," he said. "Israeli policies and illegal actions, unprecedented in scale and impact, are undermining the prospects for a viable Palestinian state."
Asim Iftikhar said recent Israeli actions, including land confiscation mechanisms and expanded settlement authority, violated international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention. He urged the immediate reversal of the policies.
Asim Iftikhar said settlement expansion has accelerated sharply in recent years, noting that Israel has approved 102 new settlements in nearly four years.
He also criticized the controversial E-1 settlement project near East Jerusalem, warning that it will make a geographically contiguous Palestinian state impossible.
Pakistan also expressed alarm about rising violence by occupiers, citing UN data showing 2025 recorded the highest number of occupiers' attacks against Palestinians since documentation began in 2006.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s support for a two-state solution, he said lasting peace required ending Israeli occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.