Gaza Protection
During the 10th Emergency Special UNGA Session in New York, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Munir Akram, called for serious consideration of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) proposal to deploy a protection force to safeguard Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.
This plea comes in the wake of escalating operations by Israeli occupation forces in Gaza, resulting in the tragic deaths of over 7,700 Palestinians, including 3,500 children.
In a final communiqué, the OIC’s Executive Committee, following an extraordinary open-ended meeting of foreign ministers on October 18, stressed the pressing need for international protection of the Palestinian people.
The committee emphasized that an international protection force should be dispatched to safeguard innocent lives from ongoing attacks by Israeli occupation forces and extremist colonialist settlers.
Munir Akram’s address at the UNGA underlined the urgency of ending the violence and killings in Gaza, calling for the establishment of a durable two-state solution to address the Palestine issue. He painted a grim picture of the situation, describing it as a human tragedy of epic proportions.
Palestinian civilians are being indiscriminately bombed, and essential lifelines such as water, food, and fuel have been cut off. Over a million Palestinians have been internally displaced, further exacerbating the dire humanitarian crisis.
Akram pointed out the tragic loss of 37 UN Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) staff members in Palestine and unequivocally condemned Israeli air strikes and barbaric crimes against the Palestinian population. He asserted that these actions, which include attacks on civilians, civilian infrastructure, and the blockade of essential resources, are flagrant violations of international humanitarian law, constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Pakistani envoy also reaffirmed the Palestinian people’s right under international law to struggle for self-determination and freedom from foreign occupation by all possible means, including armed resistance. Additionally, he stressed the need for accountability for the crimes committed and measures to prevent such horrors from recurring.
In this plea for international intervention and protection for the Palestinian people, Munir Akram echoes the OIC’s call for urgent action to halt the violence and ensure the safety and security of Palestinian civilians.
