Says Israeli policies, illegal actions that undermine the prospects for a viable Palestinian state
Permanent representative of Pakistan at UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad at the meeting on the situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Photo: X
Pakistan warned the UN Security Council on Saturday that expanding Israeli settlements and annexation measures in the occupied West Bank are destroying the prospect of a viable Palestinian state and called on “influential” nations to hold Israel accountable.
Speaking at the West Bank council meeting convened by Britain, France and other council members, UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad condemned Israel’s efforts to turn “de facto annexation into de jure control” through new legislative and administrative measures.
“The systematic annexation of the occupied West Bank, expansion of illegal settlements, demolitions, land seizures and forced displacement of Palestinians continues unabated and this demands our attention,” he said. “Israeli policies and illegal actions, unprecedented in scale and impact, undermine the prospects for a viable Palestinian state.”
Ahmad said recent Israeli actions, including land confiscation mechanisms and expanded settlement authority, violated international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention. He called for an immediate reversal of the policies.
Statement by Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad,
Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations,
At the Arria formal meeting on the situation in the West Bank including East Jerusalem
(8 May 2026)
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We thank the United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Greece and Latvia for convening this… pic.twitter.com/hFWPzyOjqC— Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations (@PakistanUN_NY) 8 May 2026
The ambassador said settlement expansion had accelerated sharply in recent years, noting that Israel had approved 102 new settlements in nearly four years.
He also criticized the controversial E-1 settlement project near East Jerusalem, warning that it would make a geographically contiguous Palestinian state impossible.
Pakistan also expressed alarm over increasing violence by occupiers, citing UN data showing that 2025 recorded the highest number of occupier attacks against Palestinians since records began in 2006.
Read more: 60 former British ambassadors warn of Israel’s annexation steps in the West Bank
Reaffirming Pakistan’s support for a two-state solution, he said lasting peace required an end to the Israeli occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The meeting was organized by the permanent missions of Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia and the United Kingdom to allow Security Council members to hear testimony about the challenges affecting Palestinians living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
