Pakistan questions Gaza ceasefire amid continued Palestinian deaths

Pakistan has expressed doubt over the Gazan ceasefire holding true, given the continuation of Israeli strikes and civilian casualties, informing the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday that over 1,200 Palestinians have been killed since the truce began. "If the ceasefire is holding -- as we have been told -- then how are strikes continuing and civilians being killed?"

Pakistan's permanent representative to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, questioned during a UNSC meeting on the situation in the Middle East. The situation in Gaza remains dire despite the ceasefire and diplomatic endeavors to conclude the conflict. Israeli airstrikes resumed on August 12 after a one-week break, resulting in 100 Palestinian deaths and more than 400 injuries, according to UN Acting Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ramiz Alakbarov.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza was underscored by Athena Rayburn, executive director of the Association of International Development Agencies, who stated that aid delivery improvements have not positively impacted the overall plight of Palestinians. "2 million Palestinians remain trapped and suffering severely," she lamented.

Pakistan cautioned that Israel's progress on the E1 settlement project could exacerbate the situation by severing the West Bank's territorial continuity and endangering the future Palestinian state's cohesion. Describing the project as a "dangerous escalation," Ahmad urged the UNSC to prevent measures that align with this direction.

Palestinian Permanent Observer Riyad H. Mansour deemed annexation to have already commenced, accusing Israel of crossing a critical threshold with the release of tenders for the E1 plan. "The Israeli government stated clearly that its goal in issuing these tenders was the destruction of the Palestinian State and the triumph of the settlers' State," Mansour asserted.

He blamed Israel for prioritizing territorial expansion, dismissing any conceivable peace prospects. At the meeting, several delegates strongly denounced Israeli plans for 1,200 settlement units in the E1 area east of Jerusalem, arguing that the project could fragment the occupied West Bank and undermine the chances of a viable Palestinian state.

French Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont vehemently condemned Israeli statements and policies related to Gaza, emphasizing that Gaza's reconstruction and the restoration of Palestinian institutions should not hinge on the disarmament process's completion. He called for an Israeli military withdrawal, stressing that "the restoration of decent living conditions cannot be subordinated to the finalization of the disarmament process."

France also advocated for an Israeli military exit, stating: "It is important for the Israeli army to withdraw." Israel's advancement on the E1 settlement project was one of several issues raised, with the US defending UNSC Resolution 2803 and President Donald Trump's comprehensive Gaza plan. The US argued that the arrangements provided an alternative to enduring Hamas rule or extended Israeli occupation.

However, the US and other nations grappled with the sequencing of reconstruction, Israeli withdrawal, and the disarmament process, reflecting the broader challenges faced by ceasefire arrangements. UN officials and mediators stressed the importance of implementing the 15-point Roadmap and Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, which includes Hamas's disarmament, an Israeli military withdrawal, an international stabilization force, and transitional Palestinian governance.