Pakistan strongly condemned Israel’s “deliberate” targeting of Gaza’s medical infrastructure, accusing it of violating international humanitarian law. Speaking at an emergency UN Security Council (UNSC) session, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar urged swift global action to hold Israel accountable for its actions against hospitals, healthcare workers, and patients.
The session, convened under Algeria’s presidency, featured reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other humanitarian agencies highlighting Gaza’s escalating health crisis. Over 136 Israeli airstrikes between October 2023 and June 2024 devastated 27 hospitals and killed more than 500 healthcare workers. The destruction of Kamal Adwan Hospital, Gaza’s last major facility in the north, was described as an “atrocity that shocks humanity.”
Ambassador Iftikhar called for an immediate ceasefire, lifting the blockade, and establishing secure humanitarian corridors. He accused Israel of conducting a campaign of “ethnic cleansing and annihilation,” citing the displacement of 90% of Gaza’s population, the destruction of 160,000 homes, and the deaths of over 45,000 Palestinians.
WHO representative Dr. Rik Peeperkorn warned that medical evacuations are moving at a pace so slow it would take years to aid critically ill patients. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk denounced the attacks as a “human rights catastrophe,” emphasizing the urgent need to protect healthcare facilities.
Despite overwhelming evidence, Pakistan lamented the UNSC’s inaction, urging decisive measures to rebuild Gaza’s healthcare system and restore hope to its people.
NEWS DESK
PRESS UPDATE