LONDON: The failure to implement UN resolutions has “emboldened” Israel and heightened the risk of a regional war with potentially “unimaginable” consequences, Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif told the UN General Assembly on Friday.
He slammed Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip as a “systematic slaughter of innocent people,” and “an assault on the very essence of human life and dignity.”
He said: “The blood of Gaza’s children stains the hands of not just the oppressors, but also those who are complicit in prolonging this cruel conflict. When we ignore their endless suffering, we diminish our humanity.”
Sharif added: “In a span of a few days, Israel’s unrelenting bombing of Lebanon has killed over 500 people, including women and even small children.”
Stressing that condemning Israel’s atrocities is not enough, he called for immediate action to “end this bloodshed.”
He added: “We must work for a durable peace through the two-state nation. We must seek a viable, secure, contiguous and sovereign state of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as its eternal capital.”
Sharif emphasized that to advance these goals, “Palestine must also be immediately admitted as a full member of the UN.”
In May, the UNGA adopted a resolution supporting Palestine’s bid to become a full UN member. This resolution was adopted with 143 votes in favor and nine against.