Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to pursue with urgency an immediate, permanent, and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
He was addressing the UNSC's Open Debate on the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question, where he warned that what the world has witnessed over the last nine months “is not just a humanitarian catastrophe, but a collapse of humanity itself.”
“Gaza has become a graveyard for innocent lives as well as for international law—particularly international humanitarian law,” he said. “Over 58,000 Palestinians—most of them women and children—have been killed in Israel’s brutal military assault,” he added.
Dar highlighted the worsening food crisis in the besieged enclave, citing UN figures that show one-third of Gaza’s population is going multiple days without eating—an indicator of catastrophic levels of food insecurity.
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaq50, presided over the United Nations Security Council's Quarterly Open Debate on the "Situation in the Middle East including the Palestinian Question". The Open Debate was upgraded to the Ministerial level… pic.twitter.com/UrAWI4iGey
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 23, 2025
Calling the Palestinian issue a “litmus test” for the credibility of the United Nations and the Security Council, he warned that failing to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people would embolden impunity and weaken the legitimacy of the international rules-based order.
Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s principled support for the Palestinian cause, reiterating Islamabad’s call for the establishment of a viable, sovereign and contiguous Palestinian state along pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. This, he said, remains the only just and durable solution endorsed by Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative, and the consensus position of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Read More: Starvation-related deaths in Gaza mount to 111
He underscored the need for urgent humanitarian access across Gaza, stressing the importance of secure, sustained, and unhindered delivery of aid to civilians. Protection for humanitarian workers, medical personnel, and UN staff must also be ensured, he added.
Dar called for immediate steps to restore aid supply lines and prevent famine from taking hold in the besieged territory. He also urged the international community to reinforce support for UNRWA, the UN agency responsible for aiding Palestinian refugees, which he described as indispensable to the survival of millions.
🔴LIVE: DPM/FM's Statement at the UN Security Council's Quarterly Open Debate on “ The Situation in the Middle East and the Question of Palestine” https://t.co/12AXZ7satJ
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 23, 2025
The foreign minister demanded an end to forced displacement of Palestinians, as well as the continued expansion of illegal settlements and annexation of occupied territory, particularly in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. He warned that such actions were in direct contravention of international law and risked further destabilising the region.
Highlighting the importance of post-conflict recovery and rehabilitation in Gaza, he welcomed the Arab and OIC-led reconstruction plan as a vital framework for rebuilding livelihoods, restoring dignity, and enabling long-term sustainable development.
Also Read: UN says Israeli military killed over 1,000 seeking Gaza aid since late May
DPM also called for the revival of a genuine, time-bound political process aimed at achieving a just, comprehensive, and lasting two-state solution in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions.
On broader regional issues, the foreign minister said Pakistan supported the stabilisation of Syria through an inclusive political process. He called on Israel to immediately withdraw from the separation zone established under the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, in line with UNSC resolutions 242, 338, and 497.
Referring to Lebanon, he said Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire understanding must be upheld, while the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected. He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the UN-led peace process in Yemen and praised the roles of Saudi Arabia and Oman in facilitating dialogue.
Dar welcomed growing international momentum for Palestinian statehood and full UN membership, reiterating Pakistan’s support for such efforts. He said the time had come to give the Palestinian people what they had long been denied: justice, freedom, dignity, and a state of their own. This, he added, was the only path to lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.
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