Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi while addressing the 67th plenary meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York has highlighted Israeli atrocities against Palestinians.
FM Qureshi began his address by saying, “There are times in history when decisions of nations are remembered by posterity. This is one such moment.”
“What we do today or cannot do will be recorded in history. Driven by arrogance and emboldened by impunity, Israel has mounted a relentless onslaught on the occupied and beleaguered people of Palestine,” he said.
He said that one week of Israeli attacks have martyred more than 250 Palestinians and thousands injured, out of which one-third are women and children.
“Death echoes in every home in Gaza,” Qureshi said, To highlight the situation in Gaza. FM Qureshi recalled one such tragedy, in which all ten members of the Abu Hattab family had died in Israeli strikes.
“Hundreds of such tragedies are being enacted every hour in Gaza and other parts of the Palestinian territories. So far over 50,000 Palestinians have fled their homes in Gaza,” he said.
FM Qureshi went on to say that these people have very poor and insufficient access to water, food, hygiene and health services.
The foreign minister said hospitals and sanitation services depend on electricity but fuel for power plants “has almost run out”.
FM Qureshi said such is the reality of Palestine, where “in full view of the world Israeli airstrikes bring down entire buildings to kill and terrorize innocent Palestinians and even silence the media”.
“Gaza has plunged in darkness […] the only light is that of Israeli explosions,” FM Qureshi said.
“It is time to say enough. The voice of the Palestinian people cannot and will not be silenced,” he said.
The foreign minister said the representatives of the Islamic world are there to speak with and for Palestine.
He said it is “appalling” that the United Nations Security Council has been unable to do what it is tasked with — to maintain international peace and security.
He said that it has even failed to demand a suspension of hostilities and warned those who are obstructing it from doing so that they will suffer the consequences.
“We must not fail the Palestinian people at this critical juncture.”
If There Is Hell On Earth, It Is Lives Of Children In Gaza: UN General Secretary
Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres on Thursday said while addressing the UNGA session in New York that “If there is a hell on earth, it is the lives of children in Gaza”
Guterres said, “We must ensure the safety of the civilian population.”
There should be no attacks on airports, the civilian population, infrastructure waste, emphasized the UN Secretary-General.
Talking about the Israel-Palestine conflict, the UN General Secretary said that the conflict cannot be ignored.
“Hamas and the rest of Israel must stop firing rockets at civilians in Israel”, said UN General Secretary.
There is no justification for harming civilians and citizens must be protected and unprovoked shelling stopped.
“We must immediately call for a ceasefire”, said Antonio Guterres.
He added that the “indiscriminate firing of rockets by Hamas and other militant groups” towards population centers in Israel — which have left 12 dead, including two children — was “also unacceptable.”
“If there is a hell on earth, it is the lives of children in Gaza,” he said.
UNGA Session: Violence In The West Bank Must Stop, Says UN President
UN General Assembly (UNGA) Session on Palestinian situation has been started.
UN President Volkin Bozkar said that violence in the West Bank must stop. He further said that the conflict between Israel and Palestine cannot be ignored.
While addressing the session special, the UNGA President Bozkir condemned Israeli airstrikes on Palestinians and religious sites.
“Raid on Al Aqsa Mosque shocking. Israel’s attacks inhumane,” he said.
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