Pakistan's Statement at the UN Security Council Briefing on the Middle East (SCR 2334), March 24, 2026

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN thanks the briefers and emphasizes that the Middle East remains volatile, with the Palestinian question at the core of the conflict and a risk of broader regional and global spillover. He highlights the Palestinians’ ongoing illegal occupation, dispossession, systemic violence, and denial of self-determination, noting Gaza casualties exceeding 71,000 and over 1,100 Palestinians killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in recent years. Recent weeks have seen an unprecedented surge in organized settler violence, including attacks on homes and property, underscoring that civilians are being targeted rather than fighting between combatants. Israel, as the occupying power, bears a legal obligation to protect civilians, an obligation he asserts is being violated with impunity. Despite these grim realities, Pakistan acknowledges international efforts toward peace, citing the High-Level Conference, the New York Declaration, and the US-led Peace Plan and Sharm El-Sheikh Summit, which aimed to end bloodshed, secure a ceasefire, address the humanitarian catastrophe, reunite detainees, and restart a credible political process toward Palestinian self-determination. Pakistan supported Security Council Resolution 2803 and welcomes the Gaza Executive Board and the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, stressing that policy must translate into ground implementation. Core prescriptions include an immediate halt to settlement expansion in line with UNSC Resolution 2334, cessation of organized settler violence, full and good-faith implementation of 2803 with ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access, and a renewed central role for the Palestinian Authority; advancing to the second phase of the Comprehensive Plan without delay; initiating reconstruction without annexation or displacement; ensuring accountability for perpetrators; and pursuing a time-bound, irreversible political process leading to a sovereign, independent, contiguous State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. Pakistan reiterates unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people and warns against broader regional escalation, urging restraint from all parties and active international cooperation toward a peaceful resolution. The delegation emphasizes Pakistan’s ongoing commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region.