Ankara: Pakistan said Tuesday that tragedy in Gaza is the 'systematic erasure' of the Palestinian nation, calling for an end to Israel's occupation of Palestine.
According to Anadolu Agency, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan's ambassador to the UN, addressed the UN Security Council, describing the situation in Gaza as unprecedented in scale and severity. He asserted that the unfolding events are not merely a humanitarian crisis but represent the systematic destruction of a people and the erasure of a nation's right to exist.
Ahmad accused Israel of deliberately targeting civilians and essential infrastructure, using starvation as a weapon. He labeled these actions as war crimes and ethnic cleansing, aimed at ensuring no safe spaces remain for Palestinians. Ahmad also criticized Israel's unilateral breach of a ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, claiming it was a deliberate choice of returning to war over diplomacy.
He highlighted a parallel crisis in the West Bank, marked by forced displacement, relentless settlement expansion, and daily violence. Over 40,000 Palestinians have been uprooted, marking the largest displacement since 1967. Ahmad called for accountability for these actions, which he described as crimes and blatant violations of international law.
Ahmad stressed that peace in the region will remain elusive as long as Israel's actions are tolerated. He called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian access, an end to the Israeli occupation, and the reconstruction of Gaza.
During the same meeting, Joonkook Hwang, South Korea's ambassador to the UN, expressed concern over the dire living conditions in Gaza, urging Israel to allow and facilitate humanitarian aid into the region.
The Israeli army renewed its assault on Gaza on March 18, breaking a January 19 ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with the resistance group Hamas. Since October 2023, over 52,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Gaza due to the Israeli onslaught.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.