UNITED NATIONS: The UN General Assembly on Friday overwhelmingly endorsed the New York Declaration on the peaceful settlement of the Palestine question and the implementation of a two-State solution with Israel — a move Pakistan hailed as a “timely” step to revive the stalled peace process.
The Declaration, the outcome of a July international conference organized by France and Saudi Arabia at UN Headquarters, secured the support of 142 out of 193 UN Member States. Israel, backed by nine others including the United States, opposed the resolution, while 12 nations abstained.
French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont said the Declaration charts “a single roadmap” for peace, including an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages, creation of a viable Palestinian State, disarmament of Hamas, and normalization between Israel and Arab countries with security guarantees.
Israel’s envoy Danny Danon dismissed the initiative as “one-sided” and warned it would be remembered as “another hollow gesture” rather than a step toward peace, claiming Hamas would exploit it.
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, welcomed the adoption, stressing Islamabad’s commitment to a just and lasting peace. He condemned Israel’s ongoing aggression in Gaza, which has killed over 64,000 people, destroyed civilian infrastructure, and violated international humanitarian law.
Highlighting illegal settlement expansion in occupied territories, Ambassador Ahmad warned such actions deepen the humanitarian crisis and erode prospects for a two-State solution. He called for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire, full humanitarian access, and the realization of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and statehood.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, addressing the conference, reaffirmed that peace in the Middle East rests on implementing the two-State solution, with Israel and Palestine coexisting as independent, sovereign, democratic States.
