Pakistan supports South Africa’s initiative against Israel at top UN court over ‘genocide’ in Gaza

Pakistan’s Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, speaks during the UN General Assembly session on January 9, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Pakistan Mission to UN)

• A top Pakistani diplomat tells UN General Assembly Israel’s occupation of Palestine was the ‘root cause’ of the conflict
• Pakistan says latest exercise of veto had proved Security Council reforms should not entail more permanent members

ISLAMABAD: A top Pakistani diplomat at the United Nations on Tuesday welcomed South Africa’s initiative to take Israel to the International Court of Justice under the Genocide Convention while seeking an end to its relentless military campaign against the residents of the Gaza Strip.
Israel besieged the Palestinian territory and launched airstrikes after a surprise attack was initiated by Hamas on Oct. 7 in response to the deteriorating condition of people living under the Israeli occupation.
So far, more than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 60,000 wounded in Israeli attacks that have mostly targeted hospitals and residential neighborhoods.
Addressing the UN General Assembly, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, Pakistan’s Acting Permanent Representative to the world body, described the Israeli occupation of Palestine as the “root cause” of the ongoing violence in Gaza.
“Israel’s refusal to stop the slaughter and impede the supply of humanitarian assistance, coupled with forced displacements in Gaza, represent blatant violations of established international law,” he said. “There must be consequences and accountability for such criminal actions that we have been witnessing for far too long in Occupied Palestine.”
“Pakistan welcomes South Africa’s initiative to bring Israel’s transgressions under Genocide Convention to the International Court of Justice,” he continued. “Pakistan also looks forward to the advisory opinion of the ICJ on the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and East Jerusalem.”
He maintained that Israel had long denied the Palestinians their inalienable right to self-determination, adding that its campaign against the occupied people of Palestine struggling for their freedom could not be justified as self-defense.
Ambassador Jadoon noted it was primarily the Security Council’s responsibility to deal with the situation in Gaza and call for an immediate cease-fire.
However, he added the council had been “paralyzed due to the resistance and negative vote of a permanent member.”
“This latest exercise of the veto reinforces our conviction that the reform of the Security Council should not add more permanent members to its composition,” he said.