Pakistan at UNSC says Israel’s decisions to expand control over West Bank ‘gravely disturbing’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said that the Israeli government’s recent approval to consolidate control over the West Bank was “gravely disturbing.”

Since last week, Israel has approved a series of initiatives backed by far-right ministers to consolidate control over the West Bank, where the Palestinians exercise limited autonomy under past deals. The UN missions for 85-member states, including Pakistan, issued a joint statement Tuesday condemning Israel's encroaching control of the West Bank.

While referring to the joint statement, Pakistan’s foreign minister affirmed that these illegal measures were “null and void,” constituting a clear violation of international law.

DPM Dar said that a successful peace process required a “conducive environment built on trust, restraint, and good faith.”

Talking about Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Washington, the foreign minister said that Pakistan will participate in the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace. 

“We engage in this process with the firm conviction that sustained diplomacy, anchored in international law, including the UN Charter, and guided by accountability, provides the only viable pathway to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East,” he said while addressing the UNSC.

Pakistan is ready and willing to contribute to all diplomatic initiatives, including President Trump's peace plan, FM Dar said.