Pakistan has endorsed US President Donald Trump’s new peace initiative for Gaza and the wider Middle East, calling it a “rare opportunity” for consensus while warning that Israel’s controversial E-1 settlement plan poses a direct threat to the two-state solution.
At a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) session on the Middle East, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad welcomed Trump’s diplomatic engagement with eight OIC and Arab states.
He said Pakistan would “actively participate in the consultative process” aimed at finding a sustainable resolution, stressing that the initiative must alleviate Palestinian suffering and be rooted in UN resolutions.
“We value the initiative of President Donald Trump, working with Arab countries to advance peace through concrete measures,” Ahmad told the Council.
Trump and Netanyahu push plan amid Gaza offensive
Earlier, Trump announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to the US-backed 20-point peace plan, which includes:
An immediate ceasefire
Exchange of Hamas hostages for Palestinian prisoners
Gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza
Hamas disarmament
A transitional international-led government
Speaking alongside Netanyahu, Trump said both sides were “beyond very close” to a deal, but the plan’s fate hinges on Hamas’ acceptance.
Pakistan highlights humanitarian crisis
During the UNSC briefing, Ambassador Ahmad described the situation in Gaza as “the most heart-wrenching tragedy of our times.”
He said more than 66,000 Palestinians—most of them women and children—had been killed, while millions faced displacement.
“Gaza is not only being bombed from the sky; its people are being starved on the ground. Homes, schools, and hospitals have been reduced to rubble,” he stressed.
Warning against Israel’s E-1 settlement plan
Ahmad singled out Israel’s E-1 settlement expansion, calling it “a direct assault on the two-state framework.”
“The plan threatens to sever East Jerusalem from Palestinian areas, dismantling the contiguity of the West Bank. Such actions are unlawful and violate international law and Resolution 2334,” he said, adding that continued defiance undermines the UNSC’s credibility.
Pakistan’s Calls to UN
The envoy urged the Security Council to:
Enforce an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza
Lift the blockade and allow humanitarian aid
Ensure release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners
Halt forced displacement and settlement activity
Launch a political process for a sovereign Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital
He emphasized that “the cause of peace and the credibility of this Council depend on what we do in this moment.”
