United Nations (TDI): Pakistan Friday called on Israel to withdraw from Lebanese and Syrian territories, including Golan Heights, and allow UN peacekeepers to operate without obstruction to ensure compliance with international deals for advancing sustainable peace and stability in the Middle East.
Speaking in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Ambassador Munir Akram, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, voiced serious concerns over the increasing threats faced by peacekeepers from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO).
The Pakistani envoy spoke after two senior UN peacekeeping officials briefed the 15-member UNSC on recent developments in Lebanon and the occupied Syrian Golan, and the challenges facing “blue helmets” serving there.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix was joined by Major General Patrick Gauchat, Head of UNTSO who is temporarily in charge of the UN force in the Golan, UNDOF.
Lacroix is presently in Lebanon, where UNIFIL monitors the Blue Line border of separation with Israel.
In his remarks, Akram strongly condemned Israel’s ongoing aggression in Syrian territories and the illegal incursion of Israeli troops in the separation areas established under the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
That deal remains binding and must be upheld without exception, Pakistan’s envoy said, adding no force except UNDOF should have a military presence there.
“Any unilateral actions that undermine this deal are unacceptable.”
Likewise, he said, Pakistan recognizes the critical role of UNIFIL in maintaining stability in Southern Lebanon under Security Council Resolution 1701.
Welcoming the cessation of hostilities arrangement between Lebanon and Israel of November 26, 2024, the envoy supported the Lebanese leadership in their commitment to fulfill this arrangement.
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But he voiced alarm over the continued violations of the arrangement by Israeli troops including airspace violations, airstrikes and restrictions on UNIFIL’s freedom of movement.
“Israel must follow to the sixty-day timeline given in the arrangement and complete its withdrawal from Southern Lebanon,” he said.
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Any security concerns should be swiftly reported to the appropriate mechanisms, including UNIFIL, instead of resorting to unilateral violations of the arrangement and of Resolution 1701, he added.
“The unobstructed freedom of movement of UNIFIL and full deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces are crucial to achieving the security and stability,” the envoy said.
The Pakistani envoy urged the UNSC to ensure the full implementation of the mandates of both UNDOF and UNIFIL, stating they must have its sustained backing.
