Pakistan, on behalf of a group of 14 countries, on Friday again pushed for a ceasefire in Gaza, while underscoring the need for an international mechanism to protect Palestinian civilians from Israel’s bombing and intensified efforts towards peacefully resolving the Middle East conflict.
“The Israeli killing machine must be stopped in Gaza and the West Bank,” Ambassador Munir Akram told the UN General Assembly which met to hear the remaining speakers of its Dec. 12 emergency session, when he made Pakistan’s national statement. He said, “The international community must also establish an accountability mechanism and a special tribunal to investigate Israel’s atrocity crimes.”
The 193-member Assembly has already adopted a resolution, by an overwhelming majority, demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and reiterating its insistence that parties to the conflict comply with international law, all hostages be released immediately and without conditions and humanitarian access be ensured.
The Assembly acted after the United States vetoed the Security Council’s ceasefire resolution. “We deeply regret that calls from the UN Secretary-General and the General Assembly were not heeded by Israel and it continues its criminal attacks against the Palestinian people,” the Pakistani envoy said.
The group of countries he spoke for include: Algeria, Bolivia, China, Cuba, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Nigeria, Syria and Venezuela. “We are witnessing a human tragedy of epic proportions unfolding in front of our eyes,” Ambassador Akram said.
Israel’s indiscriminate bombardments from air, land, and sea, along with intense ground operations across Gaza have now continued for over two months, killing more than 18,000 people, most of them women and children, wounding close to 50,000. “Entire families and neighborhoods have been wiped out,” the Pakistani envoy said, noting that the number of people killed is the highest in proportion to population since this century began.—APP
