UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has told the UN Security Council that Israel’s recent air strikes across Syria were in flagrant violations of international law, and also undermined the country’s pursuit of political stabilization and national reconciliation.
“We are witnessing a deeply troubling pattern: continued, unprovoked Israeli military aggression; repeated violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement; an illegal military presence in the Area of Separation; and open declarations of indefinite occupation, ” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told the 15-member Council during a briefing on the situation in Syria.
Voicing alarm at the escalating attacks on multiple locations in Syria—including civilian infrastructure and urban centers— he said those military actions have caused civilian casualties and posed a grave threat to regional and international peace and security.
“The Security Council cannot allow illegal military actions to set dangerous precedents,” the Pakistani envoy said, pointing out that last month the Council itself reaffirmed Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and called for upholding these principles.
But Israel’s actions, he said, were in direct violation of this consensus, and it must, therefore, act “decisively and ensure accountability”.
Pakistan was equally concerned about the broader regional implications of the Israeli actions, Ambassador Asim said, warning that continued escalation risks igniting wider conflict, at a time when diplomacy, de-escalation, and reconstruction must be the priority.
He said that Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be fully respected, highlighting that Israel’s occupation of the Syrian Golan remained illegal and, as such, “null and void.”
“The Council must demand Israel’s complete withdrawal from the occupied Golan Heights”, the Pakistani envoy said.
Ambassador Asim reaffirmed Pakistan’s principled support for a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned political process, which, he added, was grounded in the principles contained in the Security Council resolution 2254. Sustainable peace in Syria, he said, depends on an inclusive political transition, national unity, and reconciliation.
“Recent progress—including the formation of a transitional government, adoption of an interim constitution, and integration of civil and military institutions—must not be derailed by external military interference,” Ambassador Asim warned.
He described the humanitarian consequences of the Israeli attacks as devastating and reminded the Council that with over 16 million people already in need, the deliberate targeting of civilian areas and infrastructure only deepens the crisis and violates the core principles of international humanitarian law.
