New York (HRNW)- Pakistan has reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian people at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), rejecting Israel’s controversial E-1 settlement plan and describing it as a serious threat to the territorial continuity of a future Palestinian state.
Addressing a meeting of the UN Security Council, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories continues to deteriorate, with ongoing violations of international law and human rights.
He noted that several members of the Security Council had also expressed deep concern over the current situation and called for accountability.
Ambassador Asim Iftikhar said Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank continues to expand, while violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians has reached unprecedented levels.
He warned that the E-1 settlement plan would undermine the geographical continuity of the Palestinian territories and further weaken the prospects of achieving a two-state solution.
Referring to a recent report by the UN Secretary-General, he said the approval of 4,750 new housing units in the occupied Palestinian territories is a deeply concerning development that complicates international efforts to achieve lasting peace.
The Pakistani envoy also expressed concern over restrictions affecting the Palestinian Authority’s financial resources, saying such measures weaken Palestinian institutions and hinder the functioning of the Palestinian administration.
Israel approved the E-1 plan last year, which includes the construction of 3,401 housing units for Israeli settlers in the area between the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Critics argue the project could further reduce the viability of a geographically contiguous and independent Palestinian state.
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