New York: In a landmark decision, the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution calling for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all occupied Palestinian territories. The resolution, titled “Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine”, was passed with an overwhelming majority — 151 countries voted in favor, 11 opposed, and 11 abstained.
The resolution emphasizes the urgent need to resume credible negotiations on all core issues of the Middle East peace process and calls for convening an international peace conference in Moscow. It further demands that Israel comply fully with international law, end its illegal occupation, halt settlement expansion, and remove all settlers from Palestinian lands.
The Assembly categorically rejected any demographic or geographic changes in Gaza, insisting that Gaza and the West Bank must remain united under the Palestinian Authority. It also reaffirmed that Israel must withdraw from all territories occupied since 1967 to enable Palestinians to exercise their fundamental right to self-determination.
During the debate, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Osama Iftikhar Ahmed, stressed that the world must translate promises into action. He reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people’s struggle for freedom, sovereignty, peace, and justice.
Ambassador Ahmed underscored the need for a complete ceasefire in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, uninterrupted humanitarian aid, and immediate reconstruction. He warned that any forced demographic changes, annexation, or displacement in occupied territories would be unacceptable.
He concluded by affirming that lasting peace can only be achieved through a political solution: the establishment of a sovereign, independent, and geographically contiguous Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem (Al-Quds Al-Sharif) as its capital.
