A senior Pakistani diplomat has called for “concrete steps” by the United Nations to stop the Israeli slaughter of the people in Gaza, as he underscored that a lasting end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only come through a two-state solution.
“It is now time for the Security Council, for the entire membership of the United Nations, to consider measures by which to reverse this wanton rejection of peace,” Ambassador Munir Akram told the 15-member body on Tuesday, referring to the repudiation of the two-state formula by Israel.
“We hope the Council will be able, finally, to adopt a resolution demanding a complete cessation of hostilities, full access to humanitarian assistance for the besieged population of Gaza, and international protection for the Palestinian people,” he said in a high-level Council debate on the Middle East crisis.
Tuesday’s meeting featured more than 60 speakers, including many ministers, who discussed the need for a humanitarian ceasefire, the urgency with which to scale up aid, the importance of pursuing a two-State solution and the imperative to avoid further regional escalation.
Deploring Israel’s defiance of world opinion, Ambassador Akram said, “If the Israeli leadership persists in refusing peace, the Security Council, the General Assembly, and indeed all UN Member States, must take steps to hold it accountable.
“There are numerous precedents of measures that can be taken to persuade compliance with decisions of the Security Council and the General Assembly, the Pakistani envoy added, without specifying those steps.—APP
