Eight nations, led by Pakistan’s UN Envoy, demand end to Israeli settlements

A group of eight countries today issued a forceful joint statement at the United Nations, reiterating their firm opposition to any attempt to annex parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and calling for an immediate halt to Israeli settlement activity.

The collective declaration was read aloud to the UN Security Council by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, who delivered the unified position on behalf of the group. The statement reaffirmed adherence to key Security Council resolutions and international law, including UNSC Resolution 2334, which deems settlement expansion illegal and calls for a stop to actions altering the status of territory occupied since 1967.

The joint text reiterated “firm opposition to annexation of any part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and to any forcible displacement of the Palestinian people”, and underscored that altering the demographic makeup or character of those lands, including East Jerusalem, directly contravenes established international law. It also demanded that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities and fully honour its legal obligations in this regard.

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Describing what it called an escalating pattern of violence, the statement condemned ongoing settlement expansion and rising attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians, including the recent killing of Palestinian children. It called for accountability for those responsible for such violence.

The eight countries, including Pakistan, Bahrain, Denmark, France, Greece, Latvia, Somalia and the United Kingdom, also stressed the urgent need to preserve the historic status quo of holy sites in Jerusalem and voiced deep concern about the deteriorating humanitarian and economic conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory exacerbated by restricted movement and access, and the withholding of Palestinian tax revenues.

Reaffirming their shared commitment to a just peace, the joint statement referenced global frameworks such as the Arab Peace Initiative, the Madrid terms of reference and relevant United Nations resolutions, stressing that a two‑state solution based on the 1967 borders remains the only viable path to lasting peace and security in the region.

Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad’s delivery of the statement highlighted Pakistan’s ongoing diplomatic engagement on the Palestinian issue and its insistence that international law and UN mandates must guide efforts toward conflict resolution.

The coordinated stand at the United Nations comes amid mounting international scrutiny of Israeli settlement policy and broader regional tensions, as the global community weighs options for de‑escalation and renewed diplomatic efforts to resolve the longstanding conflict.