Islamabad, September 19, 2025: Pakistan on Friday expressed deep regret over the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) failure to adopt a draft resolution calling for a ceasefire and humanitarian relief in Gaza, after the United States exercised its veto power to block the measure.
The resolution, introduced by the 10 elected members of the 15-member body, had secured 14 votes in favor. It was the sixth time since Israel launched its war on Gaza nearly two years ago that Washington has used its veto to shield Israel from binding UN action.
The United States argued that a UN-mandated ceasefire risked undermining “delicate peace negotiations,” a stance critics say effectively provides Israel impunity amid escalating atrocities.
Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, strongly criticized the US move, saying the resolution had offered a chance to act against “unprecedented brutality and devastation” as Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza intensified.
“A clear majority of this Council has consistently demanded urgent action to stop the carnage in Gaza. We have fulfilled our responsibility, but the Council was prevented from acting because of a single veto. That carries a heavy responsibility — and that is where the apology must lie,” Ahmad told the session.
He warned that blocking collective action in moments of “grave human suffering” risked being seen as enabling the continuation of atrocities.
The resolution had called for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire respected by all parties, the unconditional release of hostages held by Hamas and other groups, and the lifting of Israeli restrictions on aid delivery, alongside restoration of essential services in Gaza.
It also condemned the use of starvation as a weapon of war, raised alarm over worsening famine conditions, and voiced concern at the expansion of Israeli military operations.
Ambassador Ahmad painted a grim picture of the humanitarian crisis: “Children are starving. Hospitals have collapsed. Families have no water, no medicine, no shelter. Gaza City has been subjected to its most punishing attacks in two years of war, with thousands fleeing under bombs and bullets, fearing they may never return.”
He stressed that the catastrophe was unfolding “in plain sight, live on our screens and the front pages of newspapers.”
Reiterating Pakistan’s longstanding support for Palestine, Ahmad called for an immediate end to all Israeli military operations and demanded unimpeded humanitarian access through multiple aid corridors.
“Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people in their just struggle for self-determination, dignity, and justice,” he said.
According to Gaza health authorities, nearly 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign in October 2023, while millions remain under siege facing famine and displacement.
