Pakistan rejects Israeli parliament's vote on West Bank annexation

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has rejected the Israeli parliament’s preliminary vote to annex the occupied West Bank, calling it a blatant violation of international law and demanding accountability for Israel’s “grave atrocity crimes” in Gaza.

Speaking at a meeting of the UN Security Council, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, Pakistan’s acting permanent representative to the United Nations, condemned “the killing of more than 68,000 innocent Palestinians, mostly women and children,” in Gaza.

He welcomed the recent ceasefire, the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the partial restoration of humanitarian aid flows, criticizing Israel’s continued military actions and restrictions on aid delivery.

Ambassador Jadoon denounced “the Israeli Knesset’s preliminary approval of draft laws to impose Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank,” saying such moves constitute “clear violations of international law.”

The Pakistani envoy also demanded an end to Israeli illegal actions in the West Bank, including forced displacements, upholding of the legal and historical status of Al-Haram Al-Sharif – Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the unhindered functioning of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

He stressed the need for the launch of a credible, time-bound political process consistent with international legitimacy and relevant UN resolutions to establish an independent, sovereign, and contiguous State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

Ambassador Jadoon also welcomed the peace efforts led by President Donald Trump and commended the crucial role played by the mediators—Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, and the United States —in facilitating the negotiations.

“We sincerely hope these efforts will yield sustainable results, including a permanent cessation of hostilities and a just, comprehensive and lasting peace.”

“Looking ahead,” the Pakistani envoy said, “the roles of the UN, the Palestinian Authority, and the Palestinian people will be vital to ensuring legitimate governance, reconstruction, and institution-building in Gaza”, along with the Security Council whose role will also be critical for the next phases of the peace plan including for designing and mandating the deployment of an international stabilization force to fulfill its tasks.