According to the Associated Press of Pakistan, Pakistan reminded the UN Security Council that Israel’s recent airstrikes across Syria were a blatant breach of international law and that they also jeopardized the nation’s efforts to achieve national unity and political stability.
Israel increased its bombings on Syria earlier this month, accusing its ally Turkiye of attempting to transform the country into a Turkish protectorate and claiming the assaults were a warning to the new religious leaders in Damascus.
Israeli officials see the religious warriors who overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December as a growing threat along their border, and the strikes, which targeted air bases, a location close to Damascus, and the southwest, brought the attacks back into the spotlight.
During a briefing on the situation in Syria on Thursday, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, told the 15-member Council, “We are witnessing a deeply troubling pattern: continued, unprovoked Israeli military aggression; repeated violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement; an illegal military presence in the area of separation; and open declarations of indefinite occupation.”
He expressed concern over the increasing attacks on various Syrian locations, including urban areas and civilian infrastructure, and claimed that the military operations had killed civilians and constituted a serious threat to regional and global peace and security.
The Pakistani envoy stated that the UNSC itself had reaffirmed Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity last month and advocated for respecting these values, adding that “the Security Council cannot allow illegal military actions to set dangerous precedents.”
He asserted that Israel must act “decisively and ensure accountability” because its acts were a clear breach of this accord.
Ambassador Asim warned that further escalation runs the potential of sparking a wider confrontation at a time when diplomacy, de-escalation, and reconstruction must be the top priorities, adding that Pakistan was equally concerned about the wider regional ramifications of the Israeli activities.
He emphasized that Israel’s occupation of the Syrian Golan was still unlawful and, as such, void, and that Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be completely recognized.
The Pakistani envoy declared, “The Council must demand Israel’s complete withdrawal from the occupied Golan Heights.”
Pakistan’s consistent support for a Syrian-led and owned political process, which he said was based on the ideas in Security Council resolution 2254, was reiterated by Ambassador Asim. He asserted that national unity, reconciliation, and an inclusive political transition are necessary for a lasting peace in Syria.
Ambassador Asim cautioned that external military meddling must not sabotage recent advancements, such as the establishment of a transitional government, the ratification of an interim constitution, and the unification of civil and military institutions.
He reminded the Council that the intentional targeting of civilian areas and infrastructure only exacerbates the situation and goes against the fundamentals of international humanitarian law, adding to the already dire humanitarian consequences of the Israeli attacks, which he described as devastating.
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