Pakistan has asked for the Israeli occupation forces to be held responsible for war crimes in the besieged enclave of Gaza, saying that Israel’s attacks on the Palestinian people and civilian infrastructure in Gaza are unacceptable.
On Friday, Ambassador Muhammad Usman Iqbal Jadoon, who is serving as the permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told the UN General Assembly, “We strongly and unequivocally condemn Israel’s use of force without discrimination.”
During a debate on “Humanitarian Assistance,” he said that Israel’s actions, such as firing on civilians and stopping essential humanitarian supplies from getting to areas that need them, “clearly violate international humanitarian law and amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and may even amount to genocide.”
Another event called “Shut Down Wall Street” drew thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters to the streets near the UN Headquarters in New York City. This happened at the same time that the US vetoed a resolution at the UN Security Council calling for a humanitarian cease-fire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Demonstrators gathered in front of City Hall, Wall Street, and other famous buildings in Lower Manhattan and chanted “Free Palestine.” They wanted the US to stop giving money to Israel and spoke out against the US veto.
The protesters waved Palestinian flags and spoke out against the Biden administration’s policy in the Middle East. They also called for an instant end to the fighting.
In the General Assembly, the Pakistani ambassador was also very worried about how Israel was killing and hurting UN staff, relief workers, and healthcare workers. He said that so many brave UN staff had been killed in such a short amount of time that it had never happened before.
“We should all condemn this and demand that the Israeli occupation forces be held responsible,” Ambassador Jdoon said.
The 193rd Assembly also passed a resolution introduced by Belgium that emphasized the need for a long-term ceasefire deal that would make life much better for the Palestinian people in Gaza and protect the safety and well-being of civilians on both sides.
It also stressed how important it was to quickly find a long-term solution to the crisis in Gaza by fully implementing all relevant Security Council decisions.
During the general debate, Feda Abdelhady-Nasser, an observer for the State of Palestine, said that her whole country is in danger of being destroyed.
It’s impossible to imagine the horrible things that happen and how much people suffer in the Gaza Strip, she said, adding that over 17,000 people have died.
“These are personalities with names, families, stories, and hopes, not just numbers.” According to the Palestinian official, what is happening makes everyone in the world feel bad.
The Pakistani ambassador talked about disasters caused by climate change and said, “We are sleepwalking toward a climate-change-induced chaos.” He said that Pakistan is hit hard by these kinds of tragedies more than other places.
According to Ambassador Jadoon, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs played a big role in making Pakistan’s recovery plan after last year’s devastating floods. He expressed worry that the Office lacks funding.
The Pakistani ambassador said that unprecedented global humanitarian problems need political will to deal with their causes, whether they are caused by war or climate change.
Besides that, he said there should be no tolerance for breaking international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions, even in areas that are controlled.
The world needs to show cooperation and share the load by tackling the causes of
He said that poverty has many forms and that humanitarian situations must be taken into account to make sure everyone’s health.
Ambassador Jadoon said, “Action is required right away because the clock is ticking.”
