New York, 17 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Pakistan has called for an immediate and permanent end to the Israeli occupation, urging the international community to establish a definitive and irrevocable timeline for the creation of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Addressing a United Nations Security Council meeting on the Middle East, Pakistan’s Acting Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, said lasting peace in the region would remain impossible without ending the occupation and ensuring the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the two-state solution and warned that Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, along with home demolitions, land seizures, forced evictions and settler violence, was undermining prospects for peace. Pakistan called for an immediate halt to settlement activities in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2334 and demanded accountability for those responsible for violence. Jadoon also condemned provocative incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque and stressed the need to preserve the historical and legal status of the holy sites.
Expressing serious concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, he called for the full implementation of the ceasefire, unrestricted delivery of humanitarian assistance and the immediate commencement of reconstruction efforts. He emphasized the vital role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and rejected forced displacement or attempts to divide Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which Pakistan considers integral parts of a single Palestinian entity. He also urged the release of withheld Palestinian revenues to enable the Palestinian Authority to provide essential services. Addressing regional security, Jadoon condemned Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia and its civilian and economic infrastructure, reaffirming Pakistan’s support for Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, as well as its right to self-defence under international law. On Yemen, he expressed support for the UN Special Envoy’s efforts to resume negotiations and achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace. Pakistan reiterated its call for renewed international diplomatic efforts to secure Palestinian independence, ease the suffering of civilians in Gaza and promote lasting peace and stability throughout the Middle East.