UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, on Sunday urged the UN Security Council to take immediate action to stop Israel from proceeding with its plan to occupy Gaza City.
The UN Security Council held a rare emergency weekend meeting after Israel said its military would “take control” of Gaza City in a plan approved by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s security cabinet that sparked a wave of global criticism.
Speaking at the UN Security Council, Ambassador Ahmad said: “Pakistan believes that action needs to be taken now.”
The Pakistani envoy urged the UN Security Council to invoke binding measures under the UN Charter to halt Israel’s proposed action. “The UN Security Council must immediately call upon Israel under Chapter 7 of the charter to refrain from its stated plan of occupying Gaza City.”
Ambassador Asim called for strict measures and the deployment of a protection force to protect civilians in Gaza.
The Security Council must be ready to impose a cost on Israel if it defies the demand of the Council and the will of the international community. The Council must enact enforcement measures including the deployment of an international protection force to save the besieged… pic.twitter.com/2VZhjWYB8U
— Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN (@PakistanUN_NY) August 10, 2025
“The UN Security Council must be ready to impose a cost on Israel if it defies the demand of the Council. The council must enact enforcement measures, including the deployment of an international protection force to save the besieged population,” Ambassador Asim added.
Ambassador Asim urged the UN Security Council to urgently demand that Israel agree to an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire, release hostages, and facilitate the exchange of Palestinian prisoners.
He said Pakistan, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has strongly condemned the Israeli Cabinet’s decision to take control of Gaza City, calling it “a dangerous escalation in an already catastrophic war against the people of Palestine.”
Ambassador Asim said, “This latest Israeli move aims to erase Palestinian presence, and contrary to what some claim and expect, this action will extinguish prospects for peace, and undermine all regional and international efforts to peacefully resolve this conflict. So, let us be clear, it is the culmination of a campaign of ethnic cleansing.”
This Security Council must go beyond statements. It must act — to end aggression, to protect civilians, restore justice and ensure accountability. The credibility of this body, and the prospects of peace in the Middle East are at stake.
The second and final part of the statement… pic.twitter.com/uTfAEq3vdP
— Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN (@PakistanUN_NY) August 10, 2025
Meanwhile, a senior UN official warned the Security Council that Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza City risked “another calamity” with far-reaching consequences.
“If these plans are implemented, they will likely trigger another calamity in Gaza, reverberating across the region and causing further forced displacement, killings, and destruction,” UN Assistant Secretary General Miroslav Jenca told the Security Council.
Britain, a close ally of Israel, which nonetheless pushed for an emergency meeting on the crisis, warned the Israeli plan risked prolonging the conflict.
“It will only deepen the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. This is not a path to resolution. It is a path to more bloodshed,” said British deputy ambassador to the UN James Kariuki.
Outside the meeting at UN headquarters in New York, a small but noisy protest calling for an end to the Gaza conflict was met by a large police presence.
Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour said Friday that “this escalation by the Israeli government is going in total contradiction to the will of the international community.”
The United States, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, is likely to seek to shield its staunch ally Israel from any practical measure of UN censure.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, said ahead of the meeting that “Israel will not stop fighting for the release of all the hostages — and ensuring the safety and security of our citizens is our duty.”
