Ambassador Munir Akram rejected all Israeli measures and attempts to alter the historical and legal status quo of Al Aqsa mosque. He said Pakistan was looking forward to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legal implications of Israeli occupation. The council heard a worrying assessment of the situation from a senior UN official, who informed the world body about spiralling insecurity in the occupied West Bank.
UN Security Council debate highlights the importance of a two-state solution and the need to avoid actions that would undermine its realisation. At least 14 Palestinians were killed, including five children, between Dec 8 and Jan 13, a UN official has said. Israeli settlers or other civilians also perpetrated more than 60 attacks against Palestinians, resulting in 28 injuries, he added.
Mr Wennesland told the Security Council that it was “imperative” for both Israel and Palestinians to refrain “from provocations and unilateral steps that undermine… the ability to achieve a negotiated peace”.Ahead of its Dec 29 swearing-in, the new Israeli government declared that the Jewish people had an exclusive right to all parts of the occupied land and issued fresh eviction notices. Even so, In Wednesday’s debate, UN Security Council members expressed concern at plans to advance settlements and stressed that settlement advancement undermines the prospects for a two-state solution.
